Monty Williams stopped Pistons from trading away one player?

Monty Williams appears to have Mutombo’d a trade attempt by his team.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported this week that the Detroit Pistons were close to trading away guard Killian Hayes before the season. However, Williams, who was then Detroit’s fresh head coach hire, wanted a chance to work with Hayes, Edwards adds.

In Williams’ first season as Pistons coach, Hayes has indeed been a favorite of his. The 2020 No. 7 pick was seeing nearly 30 minutes per game to begin the year, and Williams’ supposed overreliance on Hayes over fellow guard Jaden Ivey was reportedly ruffling feathers within the Pistons.

In more recent weeks though, Hayes has taken a back seat in the rotation to Ivey and was a healthy scratch for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even if Hayes has some utility has a defender, he is a generally low-IQ player with shaky shot selection and probably should not be much more than reserve depth.

As for the offseason trade of Hayes that Williams may have scuttled, it is worth noting that Williams does not have an official say in the basketball operations for Detroit (with GM Troy Weaver calling the shots instead). But considering the absurd amount of money the Pistons committed to Williams in the summer, he would figure to have at least some influence in decision-making. With the Feb. 8 trade deadline looming and Detroit stuck at an NBA-worst 6-41, Williams might finally recognize the error of his ways and step aside for the team to once again consider the possibility of moving Hayes.