As a senior, Hayes was named "Mr. Basketball" in California and a Parade All-American while leading his team to the state championship game.

During the next three years, he contributed to a resurgence in Kentucky basketball along with Keith Bogans, Gerald Fitch, Erik Daniels and Kelenna Azubuike.

Over Hayes' sophomore, junior and senior seasons, Kentucky accumulated a record of 87–15 (.853), and earned final AP rankings of 1st, 2nd and 7th respectively.

Hayes finished his career at Kentucky ranking 7th all time in rebounds, 8th in steals, 9th in blocked shots and 35th in points.

Despite earning MVP honors at the Portsmouth pre-draft camp, Hayes was not selected in the 2005 NBA draft but was signed by the Houston Rockets prior to the 2005–06 season.

In his second game in a Rockets uniform, Hayes posted a double-double, collecting 12 points and 13 rebounds in a 109–108 double-overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on January 20.

Hayes was also temporarily joined by another Kentucky teammate, Gerald Fitch, who was traded to the Rockets on February 23 but was assigned to the D-League on March 7, 2006.

The scope of his role on the team was limited to rebounding, defense, and acting as a decoy or setting screens on offense.

Although not one of the league's premier players, in 2006 Hayes signed a shoe endorsement deal with Chinese athletic apparel company Li Ning.

[13] On March 23, 2011, Hayes had his first career triple-double, dropping 13 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 131–112 home victory over the Golden State Warriors.

[15] Hayes then went to the Cleveland Clinic for extensive tests on his heart, and issued a statement on December 22 that cardiologists at the hospital had cleared him to play.

[17] On December 9, 2013, the Kings traded Hayes, along with Greivis Vásquez, Patrick Patterson, and John Salmons to the Toronto Raptors for Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy, and Aaron Gray.

[22] Hayes is listed as a forward in the NBA, but played center during the Rockets' playoff run in 2009 after injuries to starter Yao Ming and his backup Dikembe Mutombo.

An example was seen in a game against the Utah Jazz in the 2007 NBA Playoffs, where his unorthodox release drew lane violations from three players on a free-throw attempt.

[25] On July 29, 2023, it was announced that Chuck Hayes would become the director of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors, fulfilling part of the role of the retiring Bob Myers.