Killian Hayes suggested as potential buyout target for Bulls

Killian Hayes was suggested as a potential Chicago Bulls buyout candidate.

While some fans may have rather seen the Chicago Bulls reset the roster at the trade deadline, they didn’t. Instead, they chose to compete for the postseason, keeping their roster intact. Now, they have no place to go this season but forward. They need to do everything they can to win and make the most of their situation.

In turn with that, they should be keeping an eye on the buyout market. There are some players who could become available that would help the Bulls win this season. But in addition, there are also some young guys they could take a chance on.

Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation brought up the idea of Chicago potentially taking a chance on former Detroit Piston Killian Hayes.

“If the Chicago Bulls really want to take an upside swing, though, they should look no further than Killian Hayes,” Schuster wrote. “Still only 22 years old, the Pistons waived their former No. 7 overall pick last week. Of course, the fact they decided to move on from the highly-touted prospect says A LOT about his immense struggles. But the presence of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey also didn’t leave much room for Hayes to grow into his own with Detroit.”

The Hayes experiment failed in Detroit, and the Bulls already have plenty of solid guards, but maybe Chicago could get something out of him.

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15 buyout candidates contending teams may consider signing after the 2024 NBA trade deadline

Some of the most interesting names include Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Lowry.

NOTE: This story was originally published on Feb. 8 and was updated.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline has passed and hoops fans saw a splattering of deals that could potentially shake up the race for the title.

But it isn’t just trades that potentially could impact the championship odds. After the deadline, once the dust settles, several contenders around the NBA typically make moves to add free agents from the buyout market as well.

Even though buyouts are unlikely to make a dramatic change for teams with legitimate title aspirations, these moves around the edges are still fascinating to follow for those who follow the league most closely.

Due to the CBA, per Yossi Gozlan, players with salaries above the $12.5 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception cannot sign with teams above the first tax apron. Those teams are the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.

Players who meet those thresholds are mentioned below in italics. They are permitted to sign with any other team. All players must sign with a team by March 1 to become eligible to make postseason rosters.

Otherwise, let’s take a look at some of the most notable names to emerge:

Killian Hayes suggested as Spurs trade target ahead of deadline

A recent article listed Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes as a potential San Antonio Spurs trade target.

As the trade deadline gets closer and closer, the San Antonio Spurs probably won’t be super busy. Recent reports have indicated that they don’t necessarily plan on gutting the roster, but instead, they could add quality pieces around Victor Wembanyama to help him improve moving forward.

Dejounte Murray has been the most notable player connected to the Spurs in potential trade rumors, as adding a star point guard to play alongside Wembanyama would undoubtedly help his development. However, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Murray isn’t the only point guard who the Spurs should be keeping their eye on ahead of the deadline.

He recently wrote an article detailing every team’s top three deadline targets, and alongside Murray and draft capital, he listed Detroit Pistons point guard Killian Hayes.

“San Antonio could sift through the bargain bin for a ball-mover, which potentially puts Hayes on the radar,” Buckley wrote. “He’s been a colossal disappointment in Detroit, but get him out of that situation and away from the expectations that came from being the No. 7 pick in 2020, and maybe he could make his mark as a defender and distributor.”

The Pistons have been the worst team in the league this season, and Hayes has been pretty rough, but he’s labeled a “bargain bin” target for a reason.

So far this season, he’s averaging 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 41.2% from the field and 28.6% from behind the three-point line.

He’s been rough this season, but at 22 years old, Hayes is still young and could continue to develop.

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Adam Silver’s longest NBA on-court suspensions, including Draymond Green

Adam Silver has only issued a handful of multi-game suspensions for on-court incidents.

Since taking over for David Stern, commissioner Adam Silver has not issued suspensions as often or for as long. But some still stand out.

Even though Silver does not have much reputation as a disciplinarian as the NBA’s commissioner, there are a few moments that have required him to be a bit more strict than usual.

While there are unfortunately several off-court incidents that have needed attention from Silver, it is rare that something that has happened during an actual game has led to a player receiving forced time away from the team.

But the recent suspension of Golden State’s Draymond Green for his violent chokehold of Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert led us to wonder how this compares to other on-court suspensions Silver has issued.

According to research from For The Win, per Spotrac, the NBA has now issued 15 multi-game suspensions for on-court incidents since Silver took over as league commissioner in 2014.

Based on what we found, here is what caused each of the suspensions:

Mo Wagner was punched in the back of the head and then ejected after pushing Killian Hayes

Hayes will likely get suspended for his role in the altercation.

The Pistons and Magic are two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference this season, but emotions ran high when they faced off on Wednesday.

During the first half of the game in Detroit, the Pistons held a nearly 20-point lead over the Magic. Orlando’s Mo Wagner, who attended college nearby at Michigan, attempted to pick up a loose ball in transition. During this effort, he seemingly shoved Detroit’s Killian Hayes off the court as the ball went out of bounds.

Hayes tripped and fell as Wagner suddenly found himself in enemy territory on Detroit’s bench. He was briefly mixed up with opponents on the sidelines when Hayes stood up and struck him in the back of his head.

Wagner’s knees buckled as the punch appeared to knock him out cold.

The two teams had to be separated following the altercation and once emotions finally calmed, the referees issued their verdict.

Despite getting knocked out, Wagner was issued a Flagrant-2 for his actions on the court and he was ejected from the game. Considering that Wagner was potentially knocked unconscious, it would have been surprising if he could have returned to the floor.

Detroit’s Hayes, as well as his teammate Hamidou Diallo, were both issued technical fouls and ejected for their roles in escalating the altercation.

Hayes will likely get suspended at least one game for striking Wagner.

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5 players from the 2020 draft class with the most to prove in 2022-23

Rookie Wire took a look at five players from the 2020 NBA draft class that need to have strong 2022-23 campaigns.

The rookie class of 2020 entered the NBA with plenty of hype but faced much uncertainty and other related issues due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The group was not afforded the opportunity of a summer league, and had a truncated training camp and preseason schedule due to the nature of the 72-game schedule that year. Certainly, the class had its fair share of hurdles it had to overcome.

Since then, several players have emerged and had tremendous starts to their careers, including NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton. Elsewhere, others have needed additional time to get going due to various factors.

Now, with the class entering its third year in the NBA, several players — including some high draft picks — have yet to really take off and are still looking to find their footing. The class is extension eligible next summer, and many still need to prove themselves.

As a result, we decided to take a look at some of those draftees that enter the 2022-23 campaign with a lot to prove for their respective teams ahead of such an important season.

‘It’s time to work, for real’: Pistons’ Killian Hayes ready for ‘big’ summer

Hayes looks to hit the ground running this summer in the gym after a shortened rookie season with the Pistons.

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The rookie season for Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes came and went rather quickly, but the seventh overall pick from a year ago is ready to put it past him and hit the upcoming summer running.

Of course, Hayes missed nearly three months of action after suffering a hip injury just seven games into the season. The setback did not require surgery, but it did cost him valuable development time with his new team on the court.

Once Hayes was cleared, the 19-year-old showed potential on the court.

Hayes averaged 7.6 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 19 games after returning on April 3. He produced a career-high 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds on May 9, becoming the first Pistons rookie to reach those numbers since Grant Hill in the 1994-95 season.

After getting his feet wet in the NBA, the upcoming summer will be an important one for Hayes, and the rest of the young Pistons roster.

“I got a lot of (to do), especially going into the offseason,” Hayes said this week. “It is a big offseason awaiting all of us, just getting right. We know what we gotta do, what we need to work on. It felt good getting on the court being back out there with my teammates but now, it’s time to work for real. It’s a big summer coming up and we’ll be ready for next season.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=717sH_RvaQI

With just a small sample size under his belt, Hayes will enter the offseason with plenty to fine-tune in the gym.

Pistons head coach Dwane Casey pointed to the development of rookies like Hayes, Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey as perhaps the biggest highlight of the season. In order to continue that growth, those players will each need to have good summers and build upon that progress.

The coaching staff plans to work with Hayes and other players on the roster in Detroit. Among the areas in which they’d like to see Hayes improve is his shooting and conditioning level to handle the rigors of a full, 82-game schedule next season.

Hayes projects as the early favorite to be the Pistons’ starting point guard next season, but Casey stopped short of naming him the guy just three days after the regular season concluded.

I’m not going to promise anybody a position starting out. I want guys to stay hungry. He is the leader in the clubhouse but there is nothing going to be in concrete (in order) to get guys to keep working this summer and kinda look over their shoulder a little bit, but not in a bad way.

He is not a rookie anymore. He has got two feet in the NBA; he is not just starting out. All of the rookies know kinda what to expect with the league, what they can do so they can go into the summer now to work on those weaknesses and also improve their strengths going into next year.

The summer projects to be an important time for Hayes, and the rest of the rookie class. The group did not have a traditional offseason period and was thrust into the spotlight given the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

The upcoming months for Hayes will serve as a great opportunity to improve and put what he learned to the test in order to work on his weaknesses. With some work, and willingness to get better, Hayes figures to be in store for a strong second season in the league.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Anthony Edwards reigns supreme in final countdown

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.

With less than a week to go in the regular season, playoff races around the league are heating up as teams look to stamp their tickets into the postseason.

Of course, other teams are already looking ahead to next season and have turned things over to their rookies and other young players. One thing is certain, these rookies haven’t given up on the season as many are playing some of their best basketball.

To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the final edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings this season. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Killian Hayes put up stats no Pistons rookie has since Grant Hill

The Pistons rookie produced a career night on Sunday in a loss to the Bulls.

On Sunday, Detroit Pistons rookie Killian Hayes turned in a career night and put forth his best overall performance of the season in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Hayes produced a team-high 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 38 minutes of work during the 108-96 loss. He converted on 9-of-17 shot attempts from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range. His seven rebounds were also a career-best.

The seventh overall pick became the first Pistons rookie since Grant Hill during the 1994-95 season to register at least 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a game. He was just the seventh Pistons rookie to ever reach those numbers in a game.

Pistons head coach Dwane Casey noted after the game that Hayes looked to be playing with more confidence in his game. On both ends of the floor, Casey has noticed that Hayes is looking increasingly comfortable, something Hayes said stems from playing more freely.

“Just playing with a clear mind, playing free and not overthink things and just go with the flow and have fun on the court,” Hayes said. “I feel like that was one of my issues, especially at the start, just overthinking things. Now, all of the coaches and my teammates just tell me to be me and just play free out there.”

In addition to Hayes, three other Pistons rookies also put up double-digit outings, with Saddiq Bey scoring 20 points, Isaiah Stewart 19 points and Saben Lee 13 points. While the Pistons lost, Casey called their efforts a good sign of development this season.

The Pistons have received strong contributions from their rookies all season long with Hayes emerging as of late after missing time with a hip injury. He is seemingly healthy now and building positive momentum heading into the offseason.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Pistons’ Killian Hayes: Out with illness on Thursday vs. Grizzlies

Hayes had been listed as questionable to play in the contest, but was eventually ruled out before tipoff.

Detroit Pistons rookie Killian Hayes will not play on Thursday versus the Memphis Grizzlies due to an illness, head coach Dwane Casey said prior to the game.

Hayes had been listed as questionable to play in the contest, but was eventually ruled out before tipoff. The absence will be his first game missed since April 21 when the team was resting him in back-to-back sets due to hip injury management.

Prior to Thursday, Hayes had started in each of the Pistons’ last four games, averaging 5.8 points, 7.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds. With Hayes out of the lineup, veteran Cory Joseph will likely earn the start.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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