The Brooklyn Nets are finalizing a deal with G League guard Killian Hayes, who is set to sign a 10-day contract with the team, his agent Yann Balikouzou tells NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN.
With an open spot on their 15-man roster following the promotion of Tyrese Martin from his two-way contract, Brooklyn will need to create a second opening for Hayes. According to Charania, the Nets will waive forward Bojan Bogdanovic to accommodate the move.
Hayes, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has been away from the league since being cut by the Detroit Pistons last February. The French point guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets in the offseason but was sidelined by a hip injury, causing him to miss all of Brooklyn’s preseason games. The Nets waived him before the start of the 2024-25 season.
After recovering, Hayes has been playing for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. In 28 games with the team, he has averaged 16.8 points, 7.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. Hayes has posted a shooting line of .467/.351/.692.
While many European-born prospects head overseas when NBA opportunities dwindle, Hayes has remained committed to the G League as his path back to the league.
He recently called an NBA return his “only goal,” and he’ll get a shot at achieving that goal for at least 10 days with Brooklyn. After the 10-day deal expires, the Nets will have the option of signing him to a second 10-day contract before deciding whether to keep him for the remainder of the season.
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