Where do we even begin with this Charlotte Hornets franchise? This Hornets team just cannot catch a break anymore this offseason with all the controversies it is facing — from Miles Bridges' new arrest warrant to Kai Jones getting waived amid his bizarre antics on and off the court. While all of these are off-the-court issues for the Hornets, they still have other basketball-related concerns to worry about while in preparation for the 2023-24 NBA season.

With its current roster construction, Charlotte will continue to rebuild as it continues to establish a core around LaMelo Ball. The Hornets selected Brandon Miller to pair alongside the All-Star point guard. But it could take some time before Miller gets close to Ball's level. Still, the Hornets should prioritize developing their No. 2 overall pick, and that entails giving him as much burn as possible. With that said, what will happen to veteran forward Gordon Hayward?

1 early concern for the Hornets from NBA preseason: What to do with Gordon Hayward

LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier should remain as the Hornets starting backcourt. Mark Williams has solidified his standing as the team's starting center. P.J. Washington is now slated to start at power forward following Miles Bridges' latest controversy.

That leaves the other wing slot up for grabs. The Hornets can go in two directions here. They could prioritize giving the reigns to Miller immediately or they could bring him in slowly behind veteran forward Gordon Hayward.

There really is just one easy answer here — Charlotte should start Miller immediately. That's not what they did in their first preseason game, where Hayward drew the start over Miller. Quite frankly, Steve Clifford should not do that again when the Hornets tip off the season next Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks.

But given it is a fresh slate, teams often have a sense of optimism to begin the year and maybe think they could be competitive. At this point, Hayward probably gives the Hornets a better chance to win basketball games. But the Hornets should think of the long game and realize that making Miller go through growing pains early as a rookie will help his development.

Sure, Miller will make mistakes. Other seasoned veterans will take advantage of his inexperience. But the best way he can learn is by playing as much basketball as he can and learn the tricks of the trade through experience.

Hornets preseason so far

The Hornets have played three preseason games so far. As mentioned, Gordon Hayward got the nod over the rookie in their first game and the veteran actually played a solid outing. The 33-year-old had 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go along with three rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 23 minutes. Meanwhile, Brandon Miller played 22 minutes off the bench and had eight points, three rebounds, and three assists on just 3-of-9 shooting from the field. He also missed all of his four three-pointers.

Hayward hasn't played in each of Charlotte's last two preseason assignments due to right foot discomfort. As a result, Miller got the nod in those two outings and played relatively better with an average of 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 50 percent field goal shooting. However, his struggles from beyond the three-point arc during Summer League has funneled in to the preseason. The 20-year-old has only made one of his 10 three-point shot attempts in three games so far.

Hayward reportedly returned to practice and could be in uniform for Charlotte's preseason finale, which could give us a preview of their opening night first five. It'll be interesting if the Hornets continue to roll with Miller in the starting unit or go with the veteran for that one.

Gordon Hayward: A trade candidate

Another reason why the Hornets should go in this direction of starting Brandon Miller and putting Gordon Hayward in the second unit is because the latter is a prime trade candidate for Charlotte.

Hayward is on the final year of his current deal and is set to make $31.5 million this season. With that number and his injury history, it may be difficult to find a team willing to take that contract, especially since it's an expiring one. Nonetheless, there may still be a desperate team looking to add a veteran piece to its roster who can still contribute on both ends of the floor.

But to do that, the Hornets must make sure he is healthy and productive. A reduced but featured role on Charlotte's bench could even elevate his value. The Hornets could give him a lighter workload with less minutes, but he could thrive as the primary playmaker or leading scoring option in the second unit.

At this point in his career, Hayward may be best suited for that role, anyway. The Hornets should show contenders and title hopefuls that he could thrive as their top reserve.