Tyrese Haliburton says the Pistons drafting Killian Hayes over him felt personal
Draft night of 2020 was a surprising and somewhat painful one for Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. The young player agreed with many analysts who said that the Detroit Pistons would choose him as the seventh pick. But when Detroit's time came and went and Haliburton wasn't drafted, he felt that their decision was personal.
Speaking with Taylor Rooks for Bleacher Report, Haliburton opened up about being passed over by the Pistons. He felt he was a perfect fit for the team, especially because they needed a young, powerful point guard with potential. Instead of electing to sign him, they went with Killian Hayes instead.
"With the Pistons, I knew they needed a point guard," Haliburton explained. "So, in that moment, I already felt like I was the best point guard in the draft, but LaMelo was touted as the number one guy. So, when he got drafted, I was like 'It's gotta be me.'"
When the Pistons picked Hayes, Haliburton sat in disbelief. Unfortunately for him, the moment was caught on camera and lives on forever.
"What is this, they're not picking me?" Haliburton added. "And then it flashed up, Killian Hayes, and I was like, 'What!?'
He continued: "In the moment, I was just angry. I was like, 'What do you mean? They need a point guard and they're not picking me?' So that one definitely felt the most personal."
But he would eventually get the last laugh, as the Sacramento Kings picked him as the 12th choice in the draft.
Since then, Haliburton has had a flourishing career while Hayes has floundered. He just participated in his second All-Star Game and is talked about as an MVP candidate and an All-NBA guard.
As for Hayes, he was recently waived by the Pistons at the trade deadline and has yet to find a new NBA home.
Tyrese Haliburton says the Pistons drafting Killian Hayes over him felt personal