Pistons nab point guard Killian Hayes with 7th overall pick (WITH VIDEO)
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons selected point guard Killian Hayes with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night.
The 6-foot-5 Hayes was one of the draft’s top international prospects. He was born in Florida but grew up in western France. The Pistons went the international route in the first round last year as well when they took Sekou Doumbouya, a Guinea native who moved to France when he was young.
The Pistons also agreed to a deal with Houston on Wednesday, acquiring the 16th pick and Trevor Ariza for a future first-round selection, according to a person with knowledge of the trade. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.
Hayes, a lefty who has played in France and Germany, has good size for his position. He averaged 11.6 points and 5.3 assists per game in 2019-20 in Germany’s top league. His father, DeRon, played at Penn State and went on to a lengthy pro career in Europe.
Hayes has mentioned Manu Ginobili and James Harden as players he admires and tries to emulate. He joins a Detroit team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008. The Pistons went 20-46 last season.
This is Detroit’s first offseason under new general manager Troy Weaver, who was hired this year. The Pistons still have Blake Griffin, but they moved on from big man Andre Drummond last season, and their backcourt could use help. Detroit bought out point guard Reggie Jackson in another step toward a rebuild.
Point guard Derrick Rose played well last season but averaged only 26 minutes per game, and his injury history is always a concern.
This was the Pistons’ highest pick since they took Greg Monroe at No. 7 in 2010. They haven’t picked higher than seventh since 2003, when they took Darko Milicic at No. 2.
