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International prospect Killian Hayes entering NBA draft

DeFodi Images / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Touted international point guard Killian Hayes, who currently plays with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, is entering the 2020 NBA Draft, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Hayes is a projected lottery pick in multiple mock drafts thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame and playmaking ability. He's ranked as the ninth-best available player by The Athletic's Sam Vecenie and is 10th on ESPN's list.

"I have sent in paperwork to the league office and I'm very excited," Hayes said in his email to Givony.

The 18-year-old was born in Florida but was raised in France from a young age after his father, DeRon, moved there to play professionally.

Hayes averaged 12.8 points, 6.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 10 games this past season in the EuroCup, EuroLeague Basketball's second-tier tournament. EuroCup winners can achieve promotion to the more prestigious EuroLeague competition the following season.

In the Basketball Bundesliga, Germany's domestic league, Hayes was averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 assists in 20 games, per RealGM. However, the league has been suspended since March 8 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Since the German league got suspended, my family and I decided to come back to the U.S." Hayes told Givony. "I trained at home at first, but my trainers have found a private gym that we can use so I've been working on my game out there.

"Right now everything is uncertain. I was supposed to have my pre-draft training in Chicago with Will Bynum, but with everything that's going on and the German league willing to resume the season (at the end of April), everything is blurry at the moment."

The NBA has yet to officially announce any changes to the 2020 draft, which is still scheduled for June 25. However, agents, executives, and some prospects are reportedly bracing for the event to be delayed.

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