The Charlotte Hornets could head into the upcoming offseason with the possibility of facing quite a notable dilemma regarding the future of Gordon Hayward with the team.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto notes that Hayward will be a talent to watch in the coming months with the trade market. He adds that several executives in the NBA today see Hayward as a “neutral asset,” whereas while the veteran forward is generally viewed as a “good player,” there are red flags concerning his injury history as of late.
One executive noted to Scotto that the Hornets may very well opt to trade Hayward in the offseason, and they could get back in return two players who are making “$10-15 million a year.”
The Indiana Pacers were heavily linked with Hayward before the Boston Celtics agreed to send him to the Hornets via a sign-and-trade deal. This time around, the Pacers are not being deemed as a favorable destination for the former Butler Bulldogs standout due to the “direction” that the franchise has gone as of late.
Hayward signed off on a four-year, $120 million deal in Nov. 2020. A foot injury marred his debut season in Charlotte, and while he opened up the 2021-2022 campaign on a promising note, an ankle injury suffered during a regular season game against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 7 ruled him out indefinitely. He was able to make his return to action in an early April contest against the Philadelphia 76ers but was then sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to discomfort in his left foot.
Hayward has two more years remaining on his contract with Charlotte, as he will earn $30 million-plus in each of the upcoming pair of seasons.
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