The Pelicans didn't extend a qualifying offer to Hayes on Thursday, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
New Orleans will not be able to match any offer Hayes receives this summer. The 23-year-old big man averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes across 47 games for the Pelicans in 2022-23. Hayes is coming off the least productive season of his career, but his age and upside could cause a few teams to consider signing him on a cheap contract this offseason.