Polarizing Thunder forward tabbed as 'realistic' target for East contender

At an average age of just 23.4 years old, this OKC Thunder core is one that many expect to be kept together for the long haul.

Of course, those not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, or others of this sub-25 ilk may not be as cemented into the future plans of the organization, meaning veteran signings and additions to flush out the roster could mimic that of a revolving door.

In particular, one of the club's most recent and prominent elder add-ons, Gordon Hayward, finds himself heading into this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Though he was initially acquired at this year's trade deadline to serve as a positive and seasoned presence within this lacking-in-experience rotation, following a rough 29-game stretch that wound up seeing him being removed entirely from coach Mark Daigneault's lineup, there's reason to believe that his stay out in Loud City could soon be coming to an end.

Suppose he does head outbound this summer. In that case, despite his pedestrian production with the Thunder, the former All-Star will almost certainly draw in attention from title-hopeful teams on the open market. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey believes that a realistic turn of events could be a reunion with his former employers and current championship favorites, the Boston Celtics.

Thunder forward Gordon Hayward tabbed as 'realistic' target for Celtics

"Gordon Hayward averaged 5.3 points in 17.2 minutes after being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then he scored zero points in 46 minutes this postseason.

He's coming off a $31.5 million salary for 2023-24, but the 34-year-old is almost certainly looking at a veteran minimum deal. And at that price, he could be a nice veteran addition to a bench that could use some versatility on the wing."

- Andy Bailey

While his second-half stint with the Thunder wasn't anything to write home about, Hayward still seems to possess the potential to provide quality, well-rounded production within a rotation if given the opportunity (something he bluntly noted he never got in Oklahoma City).

Prior to the deadline deal, the 34-year-old was posting impressive per-game averages as a core member of the Charlotte Hornets, as he registered 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from distance.

On paper, his versatility and experience performing at high levels and throughout deep postseason excursions was viewed as a potentially major asset for OKC to be adding to their title-hungry core. Unfortunately, it appears that he was incapable of learning coach Daigneault's scheme and building team chemistry on the fly, which, in the end, sunk his value to the organization.

However, considering he already has a sense of familiarity with the Celtics (played three seasons in Boston from 2017-2020 and played a role on two deep playoff teams during his tenure), along with the team's desire to continue filling out their rotation, Bailey believes a return to Beantown could be in the cards for both parties this summer.