1. Gordon Hayward
At this year's trade deadline, the Thunder opted to partake in what appeared to be a rather splashy and low-risk transaction by acquiring former All-Star forward Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, Vasilije Micić, two future second-round picks, and cash considerations.
The idea behind such a move seemed to be that Oklahoma City was trying to add more offensive firepower to their arsenal as well as veteran leadership to their youth-filled rotation.
Frankly, considering how he was producing pre-deadline with Charlotte (14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists) the trade was seen as a no-brainer move for this surging squad.
Fast forward a couple of months later, however, and we find the newcomer falling well short of initial expectations and has served more as a sore spot within the rotation rather than a difference-maker.
Through 25 games played, the veteran forward finds himself posting mere averages of 5.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in just 17.0 minutes a night.
Vintage Gordon Hayward for the and-1! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/0QWnD7WlFx
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 13, 2024
While he has shown flashes of why he was originally so highly sought after by the franchise (he recently dropped 18 points in sub-20 minutes against Sacramento), and though his 53.6 long-range shooting clip is indeed solid, Hayward was brought aboard to serve as a needle mover for the team, and, thus far, he's produced more like a low-usage utility talent.
This postseason, there is a chance the 34-year-old can find a way to turn things up a notch and prove his worth as a long-term contributor for the Thunder but, as of this writing, it feels likely that Presti and company will opt to cut their loses and let the veteran walk in free agency this summer.