The Oklahoma City Thunder bowed out of the playoffs in the second round against the Dallas Mavericks, and while this was undoubtedly an encouraging campaign for the team, fans quickly looked back to the trade deadline as a missed opportunity for the Thunder to reinforce their squad. Their biggest move made was for Gordon Hayward at the deadline, and that didn't work out the way anyone anticipated it would.
Hayward was brought in to reinforce the Thunder's bench as a two-way wing, but he simply got lost in the Thunder's crowded depth chart, and never truly made an impact for them. General manager Sam Presti recently admitted he swung and missed on this trade for Hayward, and that quickly caught the attention of Hayward's wife, Robyn, who blasted Presti on social media for not giving the former All-Star a chance to shine.
Gordon Hayward trade simply did not work for Thunder
Hayward came over from the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline, and he was putting up decent numbers for them in a starting role when he was healthy (14.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, 46.8 FG%). His role got pretty much chopped in half with the Thunder, though, and as a result, he was never able to find his rhythm on the court for them (5.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 45.3 FG%).
Presti seemed to be placing some of the blame for this failed deal on Gordon, which didn't sit well with his wife. The fit of the trade was a bit of a head-scratcher when it was first announced, and sure enough, it didn't pan out as expected. Robyn said Presti should have actually given Gordon a chance to find his role with the team, rather than throwing him under the bus after it didn't work out.
Beyond that, Robyn claims that Gordon told Presti that he was a bit concerned with how he would fit into the team given how many other young wings they had at their disposal. That didn't dissuade him from making the deal, though, and in truth, the prospect of playing decent minutes for a playoff contender probably seemed like a better proposition than just running out the season with the lackluster Hornets from Hayward's point of view.
Instead, he found himself buried on the depth chart, and the result was a deal that was frustrating for both Hayward and the Thunder. But Robyn made sure their side of the story was heard loud and clear after Presti came out and admitted that the deal was a wash, and it's safe to say she got her point across.
Hayward is set to hit the open market this offseason, and there's virtually no shot he will be returning to Oklahoma City, especially after this exchange. However, he still has something to offer as a bench option for a playoff contender, and there will certainly be interest in him this offseason. Things didn't work out with the Thunder, but that doesn't mean the same thing will happen at wherever his next stop ends up being.
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