In the lowest of buy-low moves, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a swing on someone several other NBA franchises have whiffed on over the years. They added Killian Hayes to the OKC Blue in a G League trade on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The Blue acquired the returning player rights to Hayes, Justyn Hamilton, and Babatunde Akingbola from the Cleveland Charge in exchange for the returning player rights to Zack Austin and a 2026 G League second-round draft pick.
The Thunder will give it a go with Hayes. He was the No. 7 pick of the 2020 NBA draft. The Detroit Pistons had hoped he'd be a franchise cornerstone. Instead, he turned into one of the biggest busts in recent history. He's averaged a lowly 7.9 points on 37.7% shooting and five assists in his career.
Of course, the Pistons tried everything to make Hayes work. The ample runway produced little result, though. He spent four seasons in Detroit from 2020-24. By the end of his second season, it was obvious things weren't going to work out. Following his time there, he played two more NBA seasons from 2024-26 with the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings.
At this point, Hayes is trying to extend his NBA dream. That has resulted in him taking a humble step backwards in the G League. The Thunder and Blue are the latest visits in his pro journey. I seriously doubt anything significant materializes, but the 25-year-old should at least make their G League games a little more watchable as a household name.
For those wondering — no, Hayes can't sign on a two-way deal. Presumably, if the Thunder eventually open one up with Otega Oweh out for the 2026-27 season with a torn Achilles. Only NBA players with three or fewer seasons of NBA experience can sign that type of deal.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder add former top NBA draft pick to G League team
