The Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly set to acquire veteran Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Charlotte will receive Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic, and draft compensation from Oklahoma City in this deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Thunder hold a 35-16 record and are currently leading the Western Conference. Hayward, an established veteran in the NBA, will help an otherwise young Thunder team as they look to make a competitive playoff run during the 2023-24 postseason.

What Gordon Hayward brings to Thunder

Hayward had been mentioned in various trade rumors but it wasn't clear if he would be moved. The former All-Star is currently averaging 14.5 points per game on 46.8 percent field goal and 36.1 percent three-point shooting. He's also recording 4.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest.

The Thunder already feature no shortage of talent, however. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate MVP candidate as he's currently leading OKC with 31.1 points per game.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have also both performed at high levels. Oklahoma City has star-power and depth, making them a true contender. The Western Conference is stacked with talent, though, so adding a player like Gordon Hayward should help their chances of making a deep playoff run.

Now the question is this: Will the Thunder make any more moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline? They don't necessarily need to, but perhaps Oklahoma City will remain aggressive in trade talks. They will be intriguing to follow as the deadline draws near.

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Mann had fallen out of the rotation in his third season, and Bertans had long been viewed as a trade asset for the Thunder given his contract size. Micic signed with the Thunder this past offseason after earning EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors with Turkish club Anadolu Efes.

This move by Oklahoma City signals that they are wanting to make a serious playoff push this season.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates on the Thunder as they are made available.