On Thursday evening, former Texas Longhorns forward Jaxson Hayes got the news that he’ll start his professional basketball career forming a high-flying tandem with potential New Orleans Pelicans franchise savior Zion Williamson after a draft-night trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
As the eighth selection, Hayes was picked at the high end of his projections, but Hayes didn’t just make a splash with the first truly major recognition of his remarkable trajectory since his junior season of high school basketball, spurred by a block of Williamson in an AAU game by Hayes that helped grow his confidence in his ability to compete at the highest levels.