On April 11, Beijing time, the Hornets officially announced that forward Gordon Hayward was determined to miss the play-off due to sore left foot, and his current state is an indefinite suspension. For the Hornets, Hayward's injury stop was an absolute blow! Hayward has played just one game since Feb. 9 and his left foot will be cast and re-evaluated in two weeks.
Hayward sprained his ankle on Feb. 8 and missed 22 consecutive games. The former All-Star returned to play 17 minutes against Philadelphia on April 3, but then he was absent again, already in four consecutive truces.
Hayward has played just 49 regular season games this season, averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range. It has previously been reported that the Hornets are one of Westbrook's potential next players, and Hayward is the player they must put in the offer to match Westbrook's salary.
Hayward's technical characteristics are suitable for the Lakers, but his injury is not small. In the past three seasons, Hayward has not played more than 52 games. In November 2020, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the team, and after this season, he has two years left on his contract, $30.1 million for the 2022-23 season and $31.5 million for the 2023-24 season.