The Charlotte Hornets are approaching an offseason and will need to address multiple issues within the team, while they may also face Gordon Hayward's woes.
HoopsHype's Michael Scott noted that Hayward will be a talent worthy of "attention" in the trading market in the coming months. He added that several NBA executives today see Hayward as a "neutral asset", an experienced forward recognized by the league as a representative of "good players", but there are still red flags in his injury history so far.
One executive told Scott that the Hornets were likely to be in the offseason
By opting to trade Hayward, the Hornets could get two players with "$10-15 million a year" in return, and the Indiana Pacers had close ties to Hayward before the Boston Celtics agreed to sign a trade deal with Hayward for Hayward.
In fact, the Pacers are not considered a good place for Hayward, because the team has recently taken the "direction". Hayward signed a four-year, $120 million deal in November 2020. A foot injury ruined his first season at Charlotte, and while he started the 2021-2022 season with a hopeful stance, an ankle injury during the regular season game against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 7 left him out indefinitely. He was able to return to the game against the Philadelphia 76ers in early April, but was ultimately sidelined for the rest of the game due to left-foot discomfort. Hayward has two years left on his contract with Charlotte, and he will earn more than $30 million over the next two seasons.