3 players who should not return to Thunder following dreadful playoff performances

Gordon Hayward

Was there ever any question over whether Gordon Hayward would land on this list or not? If there was, shame on you!

Now, granted, considering he made his way over to the Thunder mid-season and was joining a rotation that was already jelling, it shouldn't be all that shocking that the forward struggled to get adjusted to his new role -- learning a new scheme and trying to build chemistry with new players on the fly is never an easy task.

However, throughout all the struggle, fans and media pundits were frequently found banking on the idea that his experience in the association and past successes as a player would eventually shine through once things mattered most in the playoffs.

Of course, as we all now know, such a turn of events never ended up coming to fruition, and Oklahoma City is now left looking back on its decision to deal for the former All-Star instead of, say, another big man as a legitimate failure.

Things proved to be so bad for Hayward to the point where he didn't even manage to register a single point during the postseason, as he missed his two only attempts from the field, and was even removed entirely from coach Daigneault's rotation for the final three games of the club's postseason run.

If his play didn't assure people that he won't be on the roster come next season, then perhaps his exit interview comments criticizing his usage on the team and noting that his experience was "not what I thought it would be” will.