KEY POINTS

  • The New York Knicks are one of the struggling teams in the league
  • It has been speculated that they are seeking the services of international prospect Killian Hayes
  • Hayes is scouted as a versatile guard who can shoot and also facilitate a team's offense

It has been another rough season for the New York Knicks as they’ve fallen near the bottom of the league once again. They’ve struggled to find a consistent performer to elevate the squad to the next level. Despite their multitude of high-potential talent, they’ve also decided to take a look at international star prospect Killian Hayes.

While the more prominent talents such as LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards have risen to fame, Hayes has been performing well under the radar. The six-foot-five guard is declared as one of the better prospects to come out of the Basketball Bundesliga.

Per the Daily Knicks, the organization has reached out to Hayes for an interview. In addition to this, it was reported that Hayes would not meet with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The versatile guard is capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor. With a combination of pull-up jumpers and an aggressive style of play, Hayes has the ability to take over a game. Considering also the vision he has when bringing down the ball, defenses will find it hard given how he’s able to maneuver around the court.

The Knicks could use a revitalized roster given how they’ve struggled in the past few seasons. While they have multiple talented players on their team, their depth hasn’t translated much into victories. This has been evident with supposed key players like Kevin Knox could be placed on the trading block with how he hasn’t lived up to the expectations.

While there have been multiple top prospects linked to the Knicks, the American-French guard Hayes has found himself as a possibility for New York. The lefty guard has already drawn comparisons to D’Angelo Russell who is touted as one of the more exciting young players in the game today.

The agility and explosiveness of Hayes coupled with his court craftiness may be what the Knicks need as they bounce back in the succeeding seasons. Couple his raw talent with the experience he will receive under one of the biggest franchises in the NBA can mean tremendous growth for the 18-year-old.

It will be interesting to see how the Knicks organization plays its cards in this situation given how they’ve been trying to rebuild their team.

2019 NBA Draft Board
The first round draft board is seen during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Getty Images/Sarah Stier