Polarizing former Boston Celtics max contract signee Gordon Hayward, who for four years had the C’s fanbase divided on whether or not he was an essential piece for a title run or a free agency mistake, was called a “prime candidate to find a new home this offseason” by ClutchPoints’ Jedd Pagaduan.
Pagaduan implied that in any other circumstance, trading Hayward’s $31.5 million salary for the 2023-24 would be impossible — but because he is an expiring deal, he’s most certainly going to be moved by Charlotte to bring in assets attached to longer term money come the offseason on April 10 for the lottery-bound Hornets.
“In a vacuum, it’s difficult to envision any team trading for Hayward, given his increasingly lackluster production, exorbitant price tag, and injury-proneness,” Pagaduan wrote. “The rebuilding Hornets certainly made efforts to try and dangle the veteran forward away during this past trading season, but Hayward’s contract simply was too onerous of a burden to take on. But that changes this past offseason. There simply isn’t an expiring contract in the world that’s too pricey to trade, making Gordon Hayward a prime candidate to find a new home this offseason as the Hornets try to pivot towards the future.”
There’s slight chance Gordon Hayward could see his Hornets contract through unlike his Boston Celtics contract
Pagaduan didn’t completely write off the chances of Hayward remaining a member of the Hornets organization come the 2023-24 season’s opening night but instead left the door open to the forward seeing his deal through to its completion in Charlotte — something he didn’t do with the Boston Celtics back in 2020 when he opted out and signed with the Hornets.
“With Kelly Oubre Jr.’s status as an impending free agent, however, the Hornets could very well decide to hold on to the one of the few true wings left on their roster,” Pagaduan noted. “But all that does is delay the inevitable. Hayward is already 33 years old, and he may not be willing to stick around for a rebuild. Come 2024, Hayward will be, more likely than not, a member of a another team. What the Hornets should do is not lose him for nothing.”
Don’t expect many analysts projecting Hayward signing with the Celtics unless his college coach at Butler, Brad Stevens, can convince him to come back to Boston on a bargain-bin deal.