2020 NBA Mock Draft: Looking to the future after a chaotic 2019 draft

Forgive us for convincing ourselves Hayes could actually be the Hornets’ pick. Owner Michael Jordan and general manager Mitch Kupchak, before their partnership and during the 2019 draft when they came together for the first time, have always preferred flashier college players over international prospects. However, Hayes is a fascinating long-term option to put alongside Kemba Walker in the backcourt.

That said, we’ll use Charlotte as a placeholder here and give the front office the benefit of the doubt for now that they’d take the best player here, even if he was an international prospect.

Hayes has the potential to be a top-of-the-lottery talent. He flashes elite functional length on both ends of the floor, finishing through contact at a high level and creating turnovers defensively. Despite being a taller guard, his handle is pretty tight and he can pull off quick dribble moves at full speed in the open court. That same size allows him to fit passes over the top of the defense and could help him become a secondary attacker in pick-and-roll, transition or spot-up situations.

Though his lefty craft is hard to account for, he takes it too far. Hayes is extremely left-hand dominant and will need to use this year to improve driving right and finishing with his right hand. That struggle looks like one of the dominant impediments to his development as a secondary NBA scorer, but he won’t turn 19 until his first Summer League.