Thunder acquire Gordon Hayward in trade with Hornets
With its deal for Gordon Hayward, Oklahoma City adds some depth for the playoffs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been among the West’s elite all season and are making a move for the playoff push. The Thunder have worked a trade to get former All-Star Gordon Hayward from the Hornets.
Thunder receive:
- Gordon Hayward
Hornets receive:
- Vasilije Micic
- Tre Mann
- Davis Bertans
- 2024 second-round draft pick (via Houston)
- 2025 second-round draft pick (via Philadelphia)
- Cash considerations
What trade means for Thunder: The Thunder entered Thursday’s action as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, essentially tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets; the LA Clippers are just behind and the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans are well within striking distance.
The acquisition of Hayward provides the Thunder with another ball handler and playmaker, easing some of the responsibility off star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his backcourt partner, Josh Giddey. It remains uncertain whether Hayward will join the starting lineup or assume his role from the bench, as Oklahoma City’s usual starting five comprises of Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Giddey, and Gilgeous-Alexander.
If Hayward were to be a bench player, he could potentially offer offensive support to the second unit. However, his performance has been hampered by injuries, limiting his appearances to only 25 out of Charlotte’s 50 games this season. Despite this, he has managed to average 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, with a shooting accuracy of 46.8% overall and 36.1% in 3-point shots.
Though his All-Star days with the Utah Jazz are far behind him, he continues to be a dependable scorer and playmaker. His veteran savvy should bring additional value to OKC as the season progresses.
What trade means for Hornets: Mann, the No. 18 pick in the 2021 Draft, is averaging 3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 1.5 apg in 13 games for OKC this season. His production has steadily declined since his rookie season, when he posted 10.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.5 apg in 60 games for the Thunder.
Micic, a newcomer, has been recording an average of 3.3 points and 2.5 assists per game in his 30 games for the Thunder. He was the No. 52 pick in the 2014 Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Bertans, on the other hand, is a seasoned player who has been playing infrequently this season with an average of 2.9 points per game and a 41.7% 3-point shooting rate. His salary of $16 million for the upcoming season is not entirely guaranteed. Meanwhile, Mann still has a team option for the 2024-25 season as he is still under his rookie contract.
