NBA Rumors: Ex-Celtic Gordon Hayward Traded To Title Contender

After missing out on the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, Gordon Hayward now has an opportunity to win the first NBA championship of his career.

The Charlotte Hornets moved Hayward to the Thunder in exchange for guard Tre Mann and forward Davis Bertans on Thursday morning, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oklahoma City entered the NBA’s trade deadline day tied for the second-best record in the league (35-16).

Hayward is amid another underwhelming campaign, averaging 14.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game across 25 contests with Charlotte. The trade marks the end of a largely fruitless pact between Hayward and the Hornets, who inked him to a four-year, $120 million deal after a sign-and-trade in late November 2020. As WCNC’s Nick Carboni pointed out in an X post after the deal, the 33-year-old missed 42% of Hornets games after relocating to Charlotte a little more than three years ago.

The ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Hayward is set to join a Thunder team that is very talented but could benefit from an experienced veteran presence. With Bertans now on his way to Charlotte, only two players on OKC’s entire roster are older than 26.

Boston, where Hayward played three seasons before joining the Hornets, is set to see the 14th-year pro with his new team in the second half of the campaign. The Celtics will host the Thunder on April 3.