February 8, 2024, is a date that Killian Hayes possibly marked on his calendar—the day when his franchise, the Detroit Pistons, chose to part ways with him. A majority of the NBA community believed he was yet another talent who couldn’t survive in the fiercely competitive league. When his aspirations almost faded, a huge opportunity came knocking at his door.

“He has size, a versatile defender, playmaker with the ball,” former Pistons GM, Troy Weaver said after Hayes’ release. “It didn’t work because of his shooting. He never got his shooting. The guy can really defend, we’ve seen his playmaking ability, but if you’re a guard in the NBA you have to make shots. The further away you are from the basket, the more skilled you have to be. The closer to the basket, the less skilled you can be. If you’re a guard, you have to make shots.”

But now, Hayes has a second chance. “The Brooklyn Nets are signing Killian Hayes to an Exhibit 10 deal, league sources told @hoopshype,” stated NBA insider Michael Scotto in his recent tweet on X. “Hayes, the No. 7 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, will compete for a roster spot after averaging 8.1 points and 5.2 assists in four seasons with the Detroit Pistons.”

Four years ago, the Pistons must have considered themselves lucky to land an exceptional guard like Hayes. The French rookie soon garnered praise for his impressive ball-handling skills and marvelous defensive vision. But disaster struck for the Pistons within a month when Hayes picked up a hip injury which later turned out to be a labral tear. For the next two months, he couldn’t return to the hardwood.

Hayes could only appear in 26 games in the first season, where he managed to contribute 6.8 points per night coupled with 2.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. The Pistons fans were hoping for a better outcome from the guard next season, and he gave them a remarkable show against the Hornets on February 11, 2022. He created 12 brilliant chances for his teammates to convert into buckets.

The franchise was positive that he was an asset who knew how to use his 6 feet 8 inch wingspan to help the offense. But he instead utilized it in an on-court altercation that infuriated the fans. Following a four-year journey, the Pistons decided to waive Hayes. Now, with a second chance at his disposal, can he take advantage? The answer is probably lurking in his past!

Killian Hayes’ life was forged in France before the ultimate move to the NBA

Killian Haye, born on 27 July 2001 is originally from Lakeland, Florida but could not grow up in the States. This was primarily because of his father, DeRon Hayes’ basketball career, which took the family to Cholet, France. Accompanied by her one-year-old son, Hayes’ mother, Sandrine, a former basketball player herself, easily settled in her native country.

It is not surprising that Hayes got his parents’ basketball genes from a tender age. He soon joined his father’s former team, Cholet Basket, but was always fascinated by the American basketball games and wished to join one of the high school teams in the West. He missed playing pick-up games as a child in Lakeland with older boys, so life in France wasn’t exactly smooth for him. Hayes, however, found solace in Dwyane Wade’s game and honed his skills watching that. A young Hayes followed his father’s instructions and continued to excel in the French league.

With his outstanding abilities, he bagged the gold medal in FIBA 2017 with the country in the Under-16 European Championship, along with being recognized as the MVP in the tournament. A year later, he even grabbed the silver medal in the Under-17 World Cup. With his bag full of talent, Hayes moved to Germany in 2019 to represent the Ratiopharm Ulm.

Hayes spent a season there before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The budding star returned to his Florida home where he declared for the draft and soon found his new home at the Detroit Pistons. Killian Hayes is not your regular youngster, who immerses himself in social media. He kept his online presence to a minimum, making it difficult to trace more personal details, namely, relationship status, and hobbies. But that is the sort of dedication one needs to succeed in the NBA and with a new opportunity at hand, Killian Hayes is surely not going to pass it up.