Cavs sign former No. 7 overall pick to surprise free agent contract

Billy Heyen

Cavs sign former No. 7 overall pick to surprise free agent contract image

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a busy Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, they signed Thomas Bryant to be a backup center. And late in the afternoon, they signed a former No. 7 overall pick to add point guard depth.

According to insider Michael Scotto, Killian Hayes is the newest addition to the Cavs.

Hayes played six games with the Brooklyn Nets in 2024-25 and averaged 9.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest.

The lefty from France was originally the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.

The 6-foot-5 point guard then spent his first four NBA seasons in Detroit.

His best season was 2022-23, when Hayes put up 10.3 points, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Overall with the Pistons, Hayes averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

The big swing skill for Hayes will be his shooting. In his NBA career, he has made just 28.1% of his 3-pointers. He did make 38.1% in a very small sample with Brooklyn this past season.

Hayes is still just 24 years old.

In Cleveland, he'll get the chance to learn from two star guards in the form of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. There'll be little pressure on Hayes, and he'll have great examples.

It's a nice low-risk signing by the Cavs that might have some untapped upside to be found.

MORE: Why the Cavs signed Thomas Bryant to free agent contract

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle