The New York Knicks apparently ranked Killian Hayes as the second best point guard behind LaMelo Ball in their internal ranking before the 2020 NBA Draft. It is still uncertain whether the Knicks will really target the 19-year-old guard from ratiopharm Ulm with their eighth pick.
This is what Marc Berman reports from the New York Post. Accordingly, Hayes’ abilities are rated as better than those of Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton or Theo Maledon, among others. According to the report, the Knicks are interested in getting a point guard in the 2020 draft, but it is uncertain whether this plan will continue after the takeover of the new President Leon Rose.
The fact that the ball falls into the hands of the Knicks, except for position eight, is considered very unlikely. The younger brother of Pelicans guard Lonzo is even traded as a potential top pick. Hayes could still be available in eighth position. At the same time, the Knicks have allegedly not yet ruled out trading down in the draft.
According to Berman, Hayes has promised a limited number of teams a personal audition, the Knicks could be among them, according to his sources. The Frenchman with American roots – his father is American and played as a professional basketball player in France – first made a name for himself in the youth department of Cholet Basket.
In August 2019 he moved to ratiopharm Ulm at the BBL instead of going to college in the USA. In Germany, Hayes put on an average of 11.6 points and 5.6 assists in 20 BBL games. Ulm sports director Thorsten Leibenath told SPOX: “He has developed more strongly this year with us than was expected. He is playfully ready for the step into the NBA”
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