Chuck Hayes

Chuck Hayes
Born	Charles Edward Hayes Jr. (1983-06-11) June 11, 1983
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, basketball executive
Years active	2005–2016 (player)
Known for	Former NBA player; director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors

Charles Edward Hayes Jr. (born June 11, 1983) is a former American professional basketball athlete and currently serves as the director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He competed in college basketball at the University of Kentucky.

High school career

During his junior year at Modesto Christian High School located in Modesto, California, Hayes received both all-league and all-state distinctions. He established a California High School record by grabbing 31 rebounds in the 2000 Northern California championship contest. As a senior, he earned the title of California's "Mr. Basketball" and was selected as a Parade All-American while leading his squad to the state title game. Additionally, Hayes was recognized as an all-state football player during his sophomore year.

College career

In 2001, Hayes committed to the University of Kentucky, opting for UK over Kansas. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2002 and played a pivotal role in Kentucky’s revival alongside teammates like Keith Bogans and Gerald Fitch. From his sophomore through senior seasons, Kentucky achieved an impressive 87–15 (.853) record with final AP rankings of first, second, and seventh place respectively. In his senior season, Hayes was promoted as an All-American hopeful under the motto "All He Does Is Win." He earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004 but did not secure All-American status.

Hayes holds notable rankings at Kentucky, standing seventh all-time in rebounds, eighth in steals, ninth in blocks, and 35th in scoring. He matched Alex Groza’s record by starting 110 consecutive games.

On the international stage, Hayes represented Team USA at the 2003 Pan American Games, starting every game and leading with an average of 7.6 rebounds per contest. The team finished fourth competing against seasoned North and South American opponents.

NBA Development League

Although Hayes was named MVP at the Portsmouth pre-draft camp, he went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft. Nevertheless, he signed with the Houston Rockets prior to the 2005–06 season. After participating in preseason matches, he was waived and subsequently selected sixth overall in the 2005 NBA Development League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. During his time there, Hayes led the NBA D-League in rebounding with an average of 12.2 boards per game.

Houston Rockets (2006–2011)

Due to injuries within Houston’s lineup, Hayes secured a 10-day contract on January 18, 2006. In only his second appearance, he posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds during a double-overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls. The Rockets signed him for the remainder of that season on January 28, with total compensation amounting to $231,390. The trade involving Lonny Baxter opened a roster spot that allowed Hayes to briefly reunite with former Kentucky teammates Keith Bogans and Gerald Fitch.

After joining Houston, Hayes appeared in all 40 remaining games, averaging 13.4 minutes per contest. Among rookies, he ranked third in rebounds per 48 minutes (16.1) and maintained an efficient field goal percentage of 52.6%, which placed him 11th across the league among players with at least 100 field goals made. On June 13, 2006, Houston exercised their option to extend his contract through the 2006–07 season for $664,209. His first official NBA start occurred on November 4, 2006 against the Dallas Mavericks.

During the 2006–07 campaign, Hayes primarily served as Houston's starting Power Forward, starting more games than teammate Juwan Howard but logging fewer minutes on average. His responsibilities centered on rebounding, defense, and setting screens rather than offensive contributions. Despite limited touches on offense, coaches praised his efforts as he ranked twelfth in rebounds per minute and thirty-fourth in rebounds per game league-wide. Durability was impacted by injuries and foul issues; he finished third in fouls per game and seventh in fouls per minute.

In 2006, Hayes secured a $5 million endorsement agreement with Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning. On July 31, 2007, he inked a four-year deal with Houston worth $8 million including performance incentives. By 2009, Hayes was appointed co-captain alongside Shane Battier for the 2009–10 Rockets squad.

Between 2003 and 2009, Hayes ranked second among all NBA players in defensive adjusted plus-minus ratings. As of December 25, 2009, he held fifth place overall for adjusted plus-minus during the 2009–10 NBA season. That same season saw him take over starting center duties due to an injury sustained by Yao Ming.

On March 23, 2011, Hayes achieved his first career triple-double by recording 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists during a win against the Golden State Warriors.

Sacramento Kings (2011–2013)

On December 9, 2011, Hayes agreed to a four-year contract worth $21.3 million with the Sacramento Kings, but the agreement was rescinded ten days later after a heart irregularity was discovered during his medical examination. After undergoing thorough evaluations at the Cleveland Clinic, Hayes received medical clearance to resume playing. Subsequently, on December 22, 2011, Hayes and the Kings completed a new four-year contract valued at $22.4 million.

Toronto Raptors (2013–2015)

On December 9, 2013, Hayes was traded by the Kings alongside Greivis Vásquez, Patrick Patterson, and John Salmons to the Toronto Raptors in return for Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy, and Aaron Gray.

Hayes signed with the Los Angeles Clippers on August 31, 2015, but was released on October 24 after participating in four preseason contests.

Return to Houston (2015)

Hayes returned to the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2015; however, he was waived a week later following two game appearances.

Player profile

Though primarily listed as a forward in the NBA, Hayes took on the role of center during the Rockets' 2009 postseason due to injuries sidelining starter Yao Ming and backup Dikembe Mutombo. Despite standing only 6'6", which is considered undersized for interior positions, Hayes effectively adjusted to this role.

He is recognized for a delayed release when shooting jump shots and free throws, often described as a "hitch." Notably, during the 2007 NBA Playoffs against the Utah Jazz, his unconventional free-throw motion led to lane violations from three opposing players.

Hayes attributes his keen rebounding and defensive instincts to lessons learned from his father.

Front office and coaching

On September 9, 2016, Hayes transitioned from player to staff assistant and player development coach with the Denver Nuggets.

On July 29, 2023, he was named director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors, assuming responsibilities previously held by retiring executive Bob Myers.

Personal life

Hayes welcomed his son Dorian Titus Hayes on April 21, 2007—the same day he started and won his first playoff game.

He married Rochelle Jackson on August 8, 2014. The couple has twin sons, Kaine William and Kao Asiel Hayes, born May 21, 2015.

Beyond basketball, Hayes pursues interests in singing, acting, and playing poker.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 40 || 0 || 13.4 || .562 || .000 || .644 || 4.5 || .4 || .7 || .4 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 78 || 43 || 22.0 || .573 || .000 || .618 || 6.7 || .6 || .9 || .2 || 5.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 79 || 44 || 19.9 || .511 || .000 || .458 || 5.4 || 1.2 || 1.1 || .5 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 71 || 1 || 12.1 || .372 || .000 || .368 || 3.5 || .6 || .5 || .3 || 1.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 21.6 || .489 || .000 || .545 || 5.7 || 1.7 || .9 || .5 || 4.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 74 || 63 || 28.1 || .527 || .000 || .662 || 8.1 || 2.7 || 1.1 || .7 || 7.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 54 || 9 || 19.2 || .429 || .000 || .667 || 4.3 || 1.4 || .7 || .3 || 3.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 74 || 1 || 16.3|| .442|| .000|| .625||4.0||1.5||.4||.2||2.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;" |Sacramento

|16||1||11.2||.438||.000||.714||2.9||.4||.7||.1||2.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Toronto
|45||0||12.8||.429||.000||.833||3.6||.6||.5||.2||2.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Toronto
|29||0||8.8||.478||.000||.545||1.8||.7||.3||.1||1.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Houston
|2||0||12.0||.500||.000||| 1.000||4.0||1.0||0||0||2.0

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 | Career
|644||244||18.3||.498||0||||620|||5|||1|||7|||4|||3|||7

Playoffs

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 2007 NBA Playoffs 
|style="text-align:left;" | 2006–07 Houston Rockets season 
|7|||7|||28.1|||.706|||0|||.400|||6.4|||0|||.400|||.400|||.400

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 2008 NBA Playoffs 
|style="text-align:left;" | 2007–08 Houston Rockets season 
|6|||0|||18|||.636|||0|||0|||4|||.8|||.8|||.8

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 2009 NBA Playoffs 
|style="text-align:left;" | 2008–09 Houston Rockets season 
|13|||4|||13|||.476||||||||||||||||||||||

|-

|style="text-align:left;" | 2014 NBA Playoffs 
|style="text-align:left;" | 2013–14 Toronto Raptors season 
|5|||0|||7|||.250||||||||||||||||||||||

|- class=sortbottom

|style=text-align:center colspan=2 Career
|31|||11|||16|||.544||||||||||||||||||||||

External links

• College stats