[citation needed] Hayes holds the rare distinction of having led two different conferences in scoring while in college.

[citation needed] He was taken 10th in the 2003 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, to back up Jerry Stackhouse, to come in off the bench and provide that deep range.

He was the Wizards' only representative at the season's All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles when he made the Rookie-Sophomore challenge.

[citation needed] Hayes did well in his second season, filling in for Larry Hughes, averaging 10.2 points a game, until a night in February when he and Manu Ginobili bumped knees.

In his recovery period from the injury, he ballooned to 245 pounds reviewing local area restaurants with Washingtonian Magazine Food Critic Tom Head on a weekly radio segment.

In the Wizards' injury plagued first round loss to the Cavs, he had started all four games, averaging 10.5 and 3.5 but shot only 32.6%.

On August 15, 2007, after four years with the Wizards, Hayes signed a contract for the veteran's minimum with the Detroit Pistons.

[1] Hayes became a player in the Pistons rotation, serving as the main backup for starter Tayshaun Prince.

He led the Qatar national team with 25 points, in an 87–64 win over Hong Kong, during group play of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, Philippines.