At this point, it has become more than apparent that the mid-season trade to acquire Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets didn't go as planned for the OKC Thunder.
From his steep drop-off in production to, eventually, even being taken out of the rotation entirely, the veteran failed to acclimate himself to coach Mark Daigneault's scheme and build a rapport with his new surrounding teammates which, though admittedly difficult to do so when on the fly, ultimately proved to be the transaction's downfall.
Following the club's second-round elimination against the Dallas Mavericks, Hayward became quite vocal about his displeasure with how his experience in Loud City played out, stating during his exit interview that it was "not what I thought it would be" and that he feels he never received the opportunity to show his worth to the organization.
Soon after such comments were made, Thunder President Sam Presti took ownership of the failed experiment with the former All-Star, though his choice of words when saying "I missed on that" seemed to rub Hayward's wife, Robyn, the wrong way, as she responded on social media with her own views on the situation.
Gordon Hayward's wife claps back at Thunder President for comments
"Why trade for someone and not play them? … missed it by not integrating him😆🤷🏻♀️"Robyn Hayward, via Instagram
Mrs. Hayward would go on to provide more context to the early February trade, shedding light on a private conversation Gordon and Presti allegedly had before the deal was made official that involved the forward questioning his fit with the Thunder.
"... before the trade Gordon told Sam he didn't think this trade made sense so how can you miss when the player told you..."Robyn Hayward, via Instagram
KRich finds @gordonhayward 🤝 pic.twitter.com/zeeQTwreTt
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
Before being shipped out to Oklahoma City, Hayward was amid quite a solid season with the Hornets, as he was posting impressive per-game averages of 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from deep.
Unfortunately for both him and the Thunder, this level of production did not carry over post-trade, as his numbers drastically dipped in virtually every statistical category and finished out his 26-game stint in blue, orange, and white with averages of just 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
Things got so bad with Hayward in tow that he logged roughly 45 total minutes during the entirety of OKC's two-round playoff run, and was axed from their gameplan entirely during their final three games of action.
Sadly, what started out as an exciting acquisition for the title-hungry Thunder has now turned into a tumultuous, finger-pointing match between players, personnel, and family members.
Regardless of who's to blame for how Hayward's tenure ended up playing out, what seems safe to say at this point is that neither party will likely be pushing to run things back in 2024-25.