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 have informed 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 on Sunday. Lewis suggests that the team’s decision to not retain him suggests that normal starter 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 a 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 notched averages of 8.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals a night.

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 long-term development over a postseason appearance, although it appears the team doesn’t think Hayes can contribute enough in the future that he’d be worth keeping around.