This has quite frankly been a disastrous offseason for the Charlotte Hornets. This was supposed to be an important period for them: building off a mildly successful second season with LaMelo Ball. Instead, it became a PR nightmare for the team, as a couple of their players started doing… questionable stuff off the court.
Montrezl Harrell is facing charges for marijuana possession. Miles Bridges had some questionable social media decisions, and then was arrested for brutalizing his ex-girlfriend and their child. The Hornets had no choice but to let both men walk for nothing.
But what about things that the Hornets could have done? Which of their offseason decisions hurts the team the most? Let's look at the worst move of the 2022 NBA offseason for the Charlotte Hornets.
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Hornets' worst move of 2022 NBA offseason
On the surface, the Charlotte Hornets didn't exactly do anything that stands out as a bad decision. Like most of the teams this offseason, they didn't go for flashy free agent signings. In fact, they didn't sign anyone, really: the only additions to their roster are their 2022 draft picks in Bryce McGowens and Mark Williams.
As for departures from the Hornets, there's nothing that really stands out as a bad pick. They have let Miles Bridges go into unrestricted free agency and let go of Montrezl Harrell, as well as a couple of other former second-round picks. While Bridges and Harrell are two talented players, their current off-court issues (especially Bridges) makes them a liability to keep around the team.
Their only major contract signing is keeping bench sniper Cody Martin on a team-friendly deal (four years, $32 million). Considering all of this information, it seems like the Hornets didn't have a bad move in the offseason… right?
The key, however, is not in what they did, but rather, what they didn't do. One look on the Hornets' current roster, and a certain player stands out: Gordon Hayward.
After his horrific leg injury in 2017, Gordon Hayward has revitalized his career in Charlotte. He's not the All-Star caliber player that he used to be, but he's still been a solid option for the team in the last few years. His best year came in 2020, when he was a near 20-point scorer for the team as a starter.
On the surface, Hayward should be a shoe-in to stay with the Hornets, right? Well, there's a couple of reasons why his production isn't as good as it looks at first glance. First, Hayward has been battling injury issues for most of his career in Charlotte. In the last two years, he hasn't played more than 50 games in one season. The talent is there, but he's not always been available for the team in the long run.
The second issue, of course, is his contract. The Hornets are going to be paying Gordon Hayward a hair over $30 million this year and the following year. Paying an injury-prone small forward that much money as he's entering his age-32 season is less than ideal for any team.
Hayward's production last season makes his contract look less than appealing. The Hornets forward's production took a slight nosedive last year, averaging just a shade over 15 points per contest. Granted, he did take less shots and played less minutes. Then again, you shouldn't be paying top-dollar for a third option on offense.
The Hornets should've been more aggressive in looking for a suitor for Gordon Hayward in the trade market. Surely, there had to be a team who was willing to trade for the oft-injured forward, right? Now, they risk the chance of Hayward suddenly declining due to his nagging injuries.
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