Nets Opting Not To Re-Sign Killian Hayes
The Nets have decided not to re-sign point guard Killian Hayes to a second 10-day deal, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Hayes served as the club’s starting point guard across the past five contests. His first contract with Brooklyn expired overnight after Saturday’s game. Lewis suggests that the team’s decision not to retain him suggests that point guard D’Angelo Russell is nearing a comeback. Russell has been on the shelf with an ankle injury since February 20.
Across his six games for Brooklyn, the 6’5″ Hayes averaged 9.0 points, 5.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks in 27 minutes per night. He posted shooting splits of .419/.381/.833.
Hayes was a highly-touted lottery pick in 2020. Selected at No. 7 by a previous Detroit front office regime, Hayes struggled with his offense throughout his Pistons tenure. He was a free agent throughout the 2024/25 season until his February deal with Brooklyn.
Across 216 career seasons (150 starts) with Detroit and Brooklyn, Hayes has averages of 8.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG.
Sporting a 21-39 record, the Nets are just three games behind the Bulls for the East’s No. 10 seed and a play-in tournament berth. Brooklyn is no doubt prioritizing development over a postseason appearance, so the decision to let Hayes go suggests he’s not part of their long-term plans.
Nets Notes: Hayes, Martin, C. Johnson, Giannis
Killian Hayes made his Nets debut on Thursday, recording five points, three assists and a block in 21 minutes off the bench. A former lottery pick, the French guard was recently given a 10-day contract by Brooklyn after spending the entire season with the team’s G League affiliate in Long Island.
“I felt very grateful,” Hayes said, per Collin Helwig of NetsDaily. “I felt like a lot of work got put into this, and I’m just very grateful for this opportunity.”
As Helwig notes, the last game of Hayes’ 10-day deal is March 1 against the Pistons, the team that cut him last February after spending most of four seasons in Detroit. For now, the 23-year-old says he’s trying to take things one day at a time.
“My goal is to stay in the NBA, make a mark for myself,” Hayes said. “But I think my short-term goals are, you know, just be a team player, show what I can do in these 10 days I have, and just keep going from there. Just helping my teammates, being a great teammate, being a great locker room guy, and just do what I have to do.”
Here’s more from Brooklyn:
- Hayes wasn’t the only player who earned a promotion on Thursday, as Tyrese Martin was also converted from his two-way contract to a two-year, standard deal. Martin’s career has taken a circuitous route to reach this point, and he admits a weight was lifted after learning of the news, according to Helwig. “Just coming in every day, with a great mindset, just trying to get one percent better,” Martin said of his journey. “You know, being a great person and just being the best teammate I could be even when things might not be going how I want them to go. So I just stuck to those three things and, you know, it just panned out the way for me the way I wanted it to.” Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Martin for his work ethic and character, Helig adds, stating that the 25-year-old wing has consistently done an “amazing job” since he’s been with the team.
- Veteran forward Cameron Johnson was heavily involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, but the Nets wound up hanging onto him. Explaining that decision in a team-produced interview (YouTube link), general manager Sean Marks praised Johnson’s fit both on and off the court. “With Cam, there was a lot of interest in him just as there was with a lot of our guys but we like Cam and we think Cam fits multiple builds that we are doing,” Marks said (story via NetsDaily). “He’s a voice of reason. He’s well-respected within that locker room. He’s a pro’s pro. So if people can learn from somebody, they learn from Cam Johnson. That’s a great guy to pick up habits from.”
- If the Bucks decide to entertain offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, the Nets could be the frontrunners to land the two-time MVP due to all the draft assets they control, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “You have to be poised and position yourself to be able to have that opportunity,” Marks told The Post earlier this season. “We’re going to give ourselves the best chance to do that. Now, on whom and when, that’s TBD.” As Lewis writes, Shams Charania of ESPN recently reported that Antetokounmpo won’t be content if Milwaukee suffers another early postseason exit, though there’s no indication that he’d request a trade in that scenario. “Everyone knows Giannis Antetokounmpo loves the Bucks, but I’m here to tell you, he loves winning more,” Charania said. “That’s why everyone in that Bucks organization knows what’s at stake: the pressure. Every summer, when Giannis looks around and looks at the Bucks’ roster, he looks at sustained, long-term winning and where he would be able to find that. And he has said audibly on the record that if he feels like that’s not attainable anymore in Milwaukee, he will look elsewhere.”
- In case you missed it, we passed along a handful of other notes related to the Nets on Thursday night, including that Cam Thomas is nearing a return from a left hamstring strain that has kept him on the shelf since Jan. 2.
Nets Notes: Thomas, Martin, Hayes, Russell
Nets guard Cam Thomas hasn’t played since January 2, but he’s nearing a return that’s sure to help boost Brooklyn and allay their shooting woes, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Thomas was expected to play in five-on-five scrimmages on Thursday.
“We know (what) he does offensively so, there’s no question. We all know exactly what Cam Thomas is going to do when he gets back out there. I think all our offensive struggles will come to an end as soon as he steps foot out there,” Trendon Watford said.
Watford went on to say Thomas is the best pure bucket-getter he has ever played with. In 19 games this season (17 starts), the fourth-year wing has averaged 24.7 points per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 37.5% from three.
“It’s always a process, but I just see it as a positive. He was so impactful and so good for the group, and I always see it as a positive,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ve had so many different lineups, and when you bring somebody as talented as he is, it’s just positive … we just know he’s going to make us better.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets converted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract this week. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link), the Nets signed Martin to a two-year, $2.83MM contract. That deal includes a team option for the 2025/26 season and a rest-of-season salary that’s slightly above the minimum. Brooklyn used a small portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing.
- Brooklyn also added guard Killian Hayes to its roster by signing him to a 10-day contract. He suited up for the team on Thursday, recording five points and three assists. Before the game, coach Jordi Fernandez commented on the signing, per Lewis (Twitter link). “Having a traditional backup point guard is good for us,” he said. “This 10 days is important not just for him but also for us if he can do the things we’re asking him to do. But we know who he is; thats the reason we brought him in the first place.” Fernandez coached Hayes in training camp before he was waived and began the year in the G League.
- Point guard D’Angelo Russell exited Thursday’s game against the Cavaliers and was later ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, as relayed by Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time he’ll miss due to the injury. Prior to the game, Cavs head coach and former Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson called Russell a star and was complimentary of the veteran, according to Lewis (Twitter link). “He must be in the perfect place now,” Atkinson said. “He’s seen it all. He’s at that age where I assume he’s the alpha in that locker room. I’m a big fan of the player, big fan of the leader, big fan of the person.“
Nets Sign Hayes, Promote Martin, Waive Bogdanovic
FEBRUARY 20: The Nets have officially signed Hayes and promoted Martin while waiving Bogdanovic, the team announced today. Martin’s contract is a multi-year deal, per the Nets.
FEBRUARY 19: The Nets are finalizing an agreement with G League guard Killian Hayes, who will sign a 10-day contract with the team, agent Yann Balikouzou tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Nets have an open spot on their 15-man roster but are also promoting Tyrese Martin from his two-way deal to a standard contract, so a second opening will be necessary. According to Charania (Twitter link), Brooklyn is creating that extra opening by waiving forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
The No. 7 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Hayes appeared in 210 games for the Pistons from 2020-24 but has been out of the NBA after being cut by Detroit last February. He averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 26.1 minutes per game as a Piston and struggled with his shot, making just 38.2% of his attempts from the floor, including 27.7% of his three-point tries.
The French point guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets in the offseason, but he sustained a hip injury which caused him to miss all of Brooklyn’s preseason games and was subsequently waived prior to the 2024/25 campaign.
Since getting healthy, Hayes has been playing for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. In 28 total games for the NBAGL squad, he has averaged 16.8 points, 7.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 33.9 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .467/.351/.692.
While some European-born prospects head back overseas when they can’t secure an NBA contract, Hayes viewed the G League as his best route back into the league and recently referred to an NBA return as his “only goal.” The 23-year-old will achieve that goal for at least 10 days — once that contract expires, the Nets would have the option of signing him to a second 10-day deal before having to make a decision on whether or not to retain him for the rest of the season.
Hayes will earn $128,603 on his 10-day deal with Brooklyn, while the team takes on a cap hit of $119,972.
Word broke earlier today that Bogdanovic would be undergoing season-ending surgery on his foot. Since he’s on an expiring contract and almost certainly wasn’t in the Nets’ plans beyond this season, he was a clear-cut candidate to be waived if and when the team needed a roster spot.
And-Ones: Hayes, Micic, Baker, Bates-Diop, Europe
Killian Hayes, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2020 draft, has been out of the NBA after being cut by the Pistons last February. The French point guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets in the offseason, but he sustained a hip injury which caused him to miss all of Brooklyn’s preseason games and was subsequently waived prior to the 2024/25 campaign.
Hayes has been playing for the G League’s Long Island Nets in the hopes of landing another NBA contract. The 23-year-old tells Scott Mitchell of NetsDaily he’s determined to make it back to the league.
“That’s my only goal is to get back to the NBA,” Hayes said. “There’s been talks for sure, but I guess we’ll see in the future what happens.”
As Mitchell writes, shooting has long been Hayes’ primary weakness as a player, as he was a solid play-maker and defender during his time in the NBA. He got off to a slow start during the Tip-Off Tournament this fall, averaging 13.1 points on .432/.290/.588 shooting splits in 15 games, but has caught fire of late during the NBAGL regular season, averaging 23.3 PPG on .570/.500/.890 shooting over his past seven contests.
“Putting in the work,” Hayes told Mitchell about how his shot has been developing. “Just being confident at the end of the day. I like how my shot is feeling. I like my chances when I shoot the ball. That’s one of the reasons I started going in, just to have that intent whenever I shoot.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic is now on his third team in two NBA seasons, having failed to make a significant impact with Oklahoma City and Charlotte prior to being dealt to Phoenix ahead of the trade deadline. While he recently downplayed rumors of a potential return to Europe in the offseason, speculation continues to swirl that the 31-year-old Serbian will receive lucrative contract offers if he becomes a free agent this summer. According to Sotiris Vetakis of SDNA (Twitter link), Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv is prepared to offer the veteran guard a contract in the range of 4.5-5 million euros per season if he hits the open market (hat tip to Sportando). The Suns hold a $8.11MM team option on Micic’s contract for ’25/26.
- G League forward Robert Baker (Osceola Magic) has replaced former NBA veteran Keita Bates-Diop on USA Basketball’s roster for the AmeriCup qualifying games this month, USAB announced in a press release. Bates-Diop also withdrew from the November qualifying window for unspecified reasons.
- Speaking to Michael Long of SportsPro (subscription required), EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas said it “doesn’t make sense” for the NBA to potentially create another league in the continent. “To read comments about another league in Europe, for me personally, doesn’t make any sense,” Motiejunas said, per Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops.“We already have four different leagues. We, as EuroLeague, have the best product possible. I don’t think it’s something that should not be valued and understood and appreciated, because what the clubs and the league have achieved in 25 years, it’s amazing. I understand the NBA’s approach and I appreciate how big they are, it’s the number one basketball league in the world. But I don’t like the mentality that, ‘oh, we’ll come and we’ll teach everybody how it’s done’. Obviously, everybody wants to listen to the NBA or wants to see what they can offer. But to have five leagues, we’re forgetting the fans. You turn on the TV and you don’t know what team is playing what competition.”
G League Notes: K. Brown, Nets, Djurisic, Pacers, Cavs, Suns
After being waived by Indiana’s NBA team earlier this month, Kendall Brown won’t suit up for the Pacers‘ G League squad this season either. The Long Island Nets announced in a press release on Saturday that they’ve acquired Brown’s returning rights from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to guard Au’Diese Toney, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 first-rounder.
Brown was the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft, but played sparingly in his first two professional seasons with the Pacers, appearing in just 21 games and logging 103 total minutes at the NBA level. The 6’7″ swingman had a far more substantial role in the G League, where he put up 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 34.1 minutes per contest across 36 total outings for the Mad Ants last season.
Brown is one of several players with NBA experience who is part of Long Island’s training camp roster, which the team announced on Sunday (via Twitter). That group of former NBA players also includes A.J. Lawson, Amari Bailey, Colin Castleton, and former NBA lottery pick Killian Hayes.
Here are a few more notes from around the G League:
- As expected, Hawks forward Nikola Djurisic, the No. 43 overall pick in this year’s draft, signed a G League contract and will open the season with the College Park Skyhawks while he recovers from offseason foot surgery. He said during Sunday’s media day that he’s started doing on-court work but isn’t taking contact yet and is still doing 1-on-0 drills, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com. Atlanta will continue to control Djurisic’s NBA rights, so he’s essentially a draft-and-stash player who’s playing domestically rather than in a league overseas.
- The Indiana Mad Ants formally announced their training camp roster on Sunday (via Twitter). The Pacers‘ G League affiliate includes former NBA players like swingman Dakota Mathias, forward Cameron McGriff, and former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor.
- The Cleveland Charge (the Cavaliers‘ affiliate) has officially announced its coaching staff and its training camp roster for the coming season. First-year head coach Chris Darnell will lead a group that includes former NBAers Jacob Gilyard, Chandler Hutchison, and Zhaire Smith, among others.
- Veteran NBA forward Mamadi Diakite and former second-round pick Cassius Stanley are among the headliners on the first training camp roster announced (via Twitter) by the Valley Suns, who are embarking upon their first year in the G League.
New York Notes: Achiuwa, McBride, Hart, Johnson, Hayes
Precious Achiuwa struck an optimistic tone regarding his hamstring injury. In a video posted by New York Basketball (Twitter link), the Knicks big man called it a “minor setback.”
“We’ll get back better, stronger. It’s just a minor setback,” he said. “We still have the same agenda. Gonna come back a lot stronger…We have a goal to accomplish this year.”
Achiuwa has a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in two-to-four weeks.
We have more on the New York teams:
- Miles McBride and Achiuwa are the logical alternatives for the starting five if the Knicks choose to make Josh Hart a sixth man, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. With Achiuwa injured, the Knicks could temporarily pivot to Jericho Sims if they want to utilize a bigger starting lineup. Hart expressed some uncertainty at the end of the preseason about his role in New York’s new-look lineup.
- Cameron Johnson, who is entering the second year of a four-year, $94MM contract, is a logical trade candidate. Johnson has tried to put that possibility out of his mind as the season opener looms, the Nets forward told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I’ve been able to feel comfortable in what’s going on,” he said. “And even with the uncertainty, it’s not like an uncertainty where I don’t think that our staff here, our front office here, has a lack of trust in me. So I feel confident in this group. I feel confident going forward. And I’m going to compete for this team. And it’s not even on my mind, really.”
- The Nets waived Killian Hayes on Saturday but he’ll stay with the organization, at least in the short term, Botte adds. Hayes, who didn’t appear in any preseason games due to a hip injury, will rehab with the team’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. He is expected to play for them after he clears waivers.
Nets Convert Tyrese Martin To Two-Way; Waive Killian Hayes, Amari Bailey
The Nets have converted forward Tyrese Martin to a two-way contract and waived guards Killian Hayes and Amari Bailey, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and New York Post’s Brian Lewis (Twitter links).
Brooklyn’s roster now stands at the regular season limit of 18 players, with 15 on standard contracts and all three two-way slots filled.
Martin, the No. 51 overall pick in the 2022 draft, spent the first year of his career with the Hawks. He only saw action in 16 games and was waived the following offseason. Martin played last season for the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate in Iowa, averaging 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 39 games.
A former UConn standout, Martin signed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Brooklyn this offseason. He stood out in four preseason appearances with the Nets, averaging just 4.8 PPG but often receiving playing time alongside the Nets’ bench players and other two-ways. He was ahead of Bailey and the other non-guaranteed training camp invitees in minutes.
Hayes spent the first four seasons of his career in Detroit after being drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in 2020. He showed chops as a play-maker, averaging 5.2 assists per game across 210 career appearances, but he only shot 38.2% from the field in those games. After being waived by the Pistons at last season’s trade deadline, he didn’t catch on with another team for the rest of 2023/24.
This offseason, Hayes signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets. While his four years of NBA service made him ineligible for a two-way deal, he’ll still qualify for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate in Long Island.
Hayes didn’t suit up in a preseason game with the Nets while dealing with a hip injury. According to Charania, he’ll rehab the injury in the G League this season.
Bailey was a one-and-done prospect after suiting up for UCLA in 2022/23. He was the 41st pick in the 2023 draft by the Hornets and spent last season on a two-way deal. However, Bailey only got into 10 NBA games and the Hornets opted not to bring him back in free agency, leading to him signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets.
He played more extensively in the G League as a rookie, averaging an impressive 18.8 points and 4.3 assists on a .452/.358/.705 shooting split. Like Hayes, he’ll be eligible for a $77.5K bonus if he winds up spending at least two months with Long Island.
Given that both players are 23 or younger, there’s a chance the rebuilding Nets could revisit one or both if they open up roster spots via trade this season.
Atlantic Notes: Horford, C. Thomas, Hayes, George
The Celtics have been careful with Al Horford throughout the preseason, but he saw plenty of action Tuesday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Playing for the first time since the NBA Finals, the 38-year-old big man logged 23 minutes in a loss to Toronto. Horford has been scrimmaging and conditioning with the team since camp opened, but coach Joe Mazzulla opted to keep him out of game action until Tuesday.
“I saw he got great looks, he rebounded, he was in the right place defensively,” Mazzulla said. “He communicated. He was solid.”
Keeping Horford healthy is extremely important while Kristaps Porzingis recovers from offseason surgery on his left leg. The Celtics haven’t put an official timetable on Porzingis’ return, but it’s not expected to happen until December at the earliest. Horford only shot 1-for-6 from the field on Tuesday, but he was happy to be back on the court.
“I felt good, it felt good just to be out there, part of a game, and get a feel back for it,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with being back. I think I’m in a good place (physically). The good thing is we have a week until we start (the season) so I’ll continue to prepare and be in a better place.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets guard Cam Thomas has established himself as a scoring threat in his first three NBA seasons, but new coach Jordi Fernandez wants him to become more efficient in how he gets his points, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Thomas seems to have taken the message to heart, shooting 55.5% from the floor and 50% from three-point range during the preseason. “I’m just getting to my spots. There’s not really much difference [that] I’m doing,” he said. “Other than getting out and running more and getting a lot of easier shots, I’m just playing off the ball a little bit and just shooting the catch-and-shoot shots that I’m given. Obviously, at some point, I’m going to be able to create, do a lot of the one-on-one game, because sometimes that’s what the game requires. But right now, I’m just trying to play within the offense and just find my spots.”
- Fernandez told reporters that the Nets can decide if Killian Hayes is worthy of a roster spot even if he doesn’t play in the preseason, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The former lottery pick, who has been out of the league since Detroit waived him in February, signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with Brooklyn this summer. “I’ve seen him play live in practice and you guys haven’t,” Fernandez said. “… I’ve seen him and I’m very happy with him. After that we’ll make whatever decision we have to as a group with (general manager) Sean (Marks).“
- Paul George will be reevaluated next Tuesday to determine if he can play in Wednesday’s season opener against Milwaukee, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on NBA Today (video link). Sixers officials confirmed to Charania that there was no structural damage from the injury George suffered on Monday, but there’s a “level of uncertainty” about his availability for opening night.
Nets Notes: Schröder, Simmons, Claxton, Williams, Hayes, Sharpe, Watford
Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons will both be in the starting lineup Tuesday when the Nets open the preseason against the Clippers, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Much of the training camp discussion has been focused on which player will be used as the starting point guard, but coach Jordi Fernandez has decided to try them together.
“It’s something that it gives us a different look right now, playing with size, but not a true big and a lot of play-making and shooting,” Fernandez explained. “So it’s going to be fun. It’s going to very fun to give it a look.”
Schröder wanted to be used in tandem with Simmons after being acquired from Toronto in February, but Simmons’ back issues limited them to 16 total minutes together in three games. Schröder believes they have skills that complement each other.
“He wasn’t healthy the last couple of years, but when he’s healthy, we know what he can do,” Schröder said. “He’s an All-Star-type player, so he’s going to push the ball. (He’s) unselfish. On the defensive end, he’s playing with grit. And that’s what we need here. So, a lot of speed. He can bring it up, I go to the corner. If not, me and him in pick-and-roll, him setting the screen or me setting the screen. I think we can do a lot of things. And today we worked on it, and we try to keep building forward, going forward, try to build. Yeah, we’re going to keep working.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- Nic Claxton will be held out of the preseason opener due to hamstring soreness, according to Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Fernandez called the move precautionary, adding that Claxton also didn’t participate in a scrimmage at Thursday’s practice. “We’re not concerned about it,” he said. “We’re just more aiming [for] the first game of the season and doing what we believe is best just for him to be ready there.”
- Former lottery picks Ziaire Williams and Killian Hayes have a chance to revive their careers after being let go by their original teams, Reilly notes in a separate story. Williams was traded to Brooklyn in July after three years in Memphis, and Hayes was signed last month after Detroit waived him in February. “A fresh start is good, but at the end of the day, you need consistency because you cannot keep having fresh starts,” Fernandez said. “You cannot say, ‘Oh, I’m done here. I’ll go somewhere else.’ Sometimes, when you get hit in the mouth, it’s good to recover and then start and look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What did I do wrong that I can fix myself?’”
- Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford remained in Brooklyn to be evaluated for injuries rather than accompanying the team to San Diego for training camp, Lewis tweets. Updates on both players are expected soon.