The Oklahoma City Thunder had an incredible year. They came out of the gates strong and finished in first place with a 57-25 record. They would blaze through the first round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans. It seemed like this could be their year. However, things came to a screeching halt in game seven when All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fouled P.J. Washington of the Dallas Mavericks with seconds left on the clock leading to the Mavs one-point win.
Though SGA may be at fault for that foul, he carried the Thunder as far as he could and showed that he will be a bright star in the league for years to come. However, there is one OKC player whose days should be numbered.
Gordan Hayward Traded to Oklahoma City Thunder
With the NBA trade deadline looming the OKC Thunder made a quick last minute decision. They chose to send Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic, and two second-round draft picks to acquire veteran forward Gordan Hayward. Hayward has been injury prone since his ankle fracture with the Boston Celtics. However, he can provide a great veteran presence in the locker room especailly for such a young Thunder team.
This season Gordon Hayward averaged 5.3 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game with 17.2 minutes per game. He was playing pretty consistent ball off the bench and wasn’t dealing with the typical injury woes. It seemed like Hayward was doing some good for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then the playoffs happened.
An Almost Record Breaking Playoff Performance
This postseason Hayward almost beat a playoff record. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good one. The record, held by John Hummer of the defunct Seattle SuperSonics, is the most playoff minutes without scoring. Hummer’s record is 68 minutes and Hayward now sits at number two with 48 minutes.
There is no doubt that Gordon Hayward has been a solid role player for a long time in the league. It doesn’t seem like he is the veteran this OKC team needs though. His other stats weren’t great either with 1.9 rebounds and .4 assists. In the 48 minutes he played, he did not get the job done.
Free Agency Looming
Gordon Hayward will officially be a free agent this summer. That means the Oklahoma City Thunder has a decision to make. They can either resign the veteran guard or let him go and move on. I believe that the best move is to set their sights on a different veteran for their roster. There will be plenty of free agents to sign that could provide more.
There are probably people who heavily disagree with this and want to keep Gordon Hayward on as a locker room presence for the youthful lineup. However, there are plenty of locker room presences that can still provide numbers in the playoffs. One example is 37 Al Horford, who turns back the clock every single time the Boston Celtics enter the playoffs. If the Thunder could sign someone like that, they’d be an even stronger team.
About the Author
Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Her favorite sport to watch is basketball, but she also enjoys professional wrestling, soccer, and baseball. You can find her on X @edellapiana1 to check out more content.
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
