5 Oklahoma City Thunder at risk of being traded this summer
By Tyler Watts
3. Gordon Hayward
The Thunder acquired Hayward at the deadline to boost their ball-handling and playmaking. It cost them Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, Visilije Micic, and two second-round draft picks. The 33-year-old former All-Star is in the final year of his contract and has struggled to stay healthy in recent years.
Hayward is still working his way back from a calf injury that forced him to miss multiple weeks. His minutes are starting to ramp up, but can the Thunder trust him to be healthy through a deep playoff run? Hayward has not played more than 52 games in a season since 2019 and turns 34 on March 23.
The 6'7 forward is making $33.3 million this season but is an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Thunder may try to sign-and-trade him to extract some value. That won’t be easy as he will likely take a pay cut and several teams are unable to make moves because of spending restrictions.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will explore keeping Gordon Hayward and finding a sign-and-trade. Sam Presti and the front office want to maximize their roster and contend for the championship. Getting value from Hayward is important, and the Thunder will explore every avenue to make that a reality.