Hornets trade Gordon Hayward to Thunder

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired forward Davis Bertans, guard Tre Mann, guard Vasilije Micic, a 2024 second-round draft pick (Houston Rockets), a 2025 second-round draft pick (Philadelphia 76ers) and cash considerations in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Gordon Hayward.

Hayward (6-7, 225) has appeared in 809 career games (646 starts) as a member of the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and Hornets and averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.02 steals in 31.2 minutes. During the 2023-24 season, he has appeared in 25 games (all starts) and averaged 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.12 steals in 31.9 minutes.

Originally selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Hayward was named a 2017 NBA All-Star during a season in which he averaged 21.9 points and helped lead the Jazz to a 51-win season. During Hayward’s collegiate career, he was named the 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year as he helped lead the Butler Bulldogs to the 2010 NCAA National Championship game.

Bertans, a native of Valmiera, Latvia, is in his eighth NBA season, which includes stops with San Antonio, Washington, Dallas and Oklahoma City. For his career, he has averaged 7.6 points, including a 39.8 percent mark from beyond the arc, and 2.5 rebounds in 447 games (40 starts). Originally selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, Bertans has appeared in 15 contests this season, notching 2.9 points in 6.1 minutes per game. He played five professional seasons prior to the NBA with KK Partizan (Serbia) and Baskonia (Spain).

Mann, the 18th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, holds career averages of 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game across 140 appearances (31 starts) with the Thunder. He has recorded 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range in 13 outings this season. Mann was a McDonald’s All-American in 2018-19 before playing two seasons for his hometown Florida Gators, where he earned All-SEC First Team honors as a sophomore.

Originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft, Micic played nine seasons overseas before joining the Thunder for the 2023-24 campaign. In 30 games this year, Micic has averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 assists in 12.0 minutes per contest. His professional experience includes stints with KK Mega Bemax (Serbia), Bayern Munich (Germany), KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia), Tofas SC (Turkey), Zalgiris (Lithuania) and Anadolu Efes (Turkey). He is a two-time EuroLeague champion, two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and was named the EuroLeague MVP in 2021.

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward returning to action

The Charlotte Hornets are about to get deeper. Via the Charlotte Observer:

As the Charlotte Hornets hit the final week of the regular season and prepare for the play-in tournament, they are set to welcome Gordon Hayward back. Hayward is officially listed as probable for Saturday’s matinee against Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center and will be available after missing the last 22 games with a sprained left ankle.

Hayward practiced with the team over the past two weeks, ramping up his activity over the last few days. He was on the floor again Friday during their session at Temple University and he’s ready to go just in time to help the Hornets (40-37) during the stretch run. They are in a three-way tie with Brooklyn and Atlanta for ninth place.

Three of the Hornets’ final five games are on the road and there’s at least one day in between each except for one, which should assist in easing Hayward in and gradually increasing his minutes. The veteran swingman hasn’t played since getting injured Feb. 7 against Toronto when his leg got rolled up on by Gary Trent Jr. while chasing a rebound.

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward hopes to return to action this season

Here’s the latest on injured Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, via the Charlotte Observer:

Injured and powerless to provide some veteran assistance, Gordon Hayward couldn’t do anything to halt the Charlotte Hornets’ season-ending slide a year ago.

Hayward never made it onto the floor, sidelined due to a foot injury suffered in early April. The Hornets were in a good position in the standings until Hayward went down, collapsing and tumbling to the final spot in the play-in tournament.

It has eerie similarities to how things have transpired this season since Hayward’s ankle got rolled up on by Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. on Feb. 7 . But there’s going to be a noticeable difference. A big one at that.

Hayward intends on being part of the Hornets’ run “hopefully sooner than later.”

With only one month left in the NBA regular season, the Hornets are 10th in the Eastern conference, which would place them in the league’s play-in tournament that could lead them to making the playoffs. So there is reason to hope that the team does have a healthy and effective Hayward back in action.

Gordon Hayward injured, out at least four weeks

Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward has suffered a right foot sprain, the team announced today.

The injury was sustained during the second quarter of last night’s win over the Indiana Pacers.

The initial diagnosis was confirmed via a physician’s exam and studies today in Indianapolis.

Hayward will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks and further updates on his status will be provided as appropriate.

Hayward is averaging 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 34.0 minutes per game over the course of 44 appearances (all starts) this season with the Hornets. The eleventh-year forward is shooting 41.4% from the three-point line. The veteran wing set a career-high in scoring this season on Jan. 6, 2021 vs. Atlanta with 44 points and has totaled 20 or more points in 20 outings this season. The Butler product was originally acquired by Charlotte in a sign-and-trade with the Boston Celtics on Nov. 29, 2020.

Hornets and Gordon Hayward reportedly agree to contract

The Celtics are losing one of their key contributors to the Hornets in free agency. Here’s Boston.com:

The Celtics lost Gordon Hayward to the Hornets on Saturday, as the small forward reportedly agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal with Charlotte.

Even though Hayward spent much of his three seasons in Boston missing time due to injuries, his departure is still a hit to the team. After struggling to regain his All-Star form in the 2018-19 season, Hayward bounced back this past year. He averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, showing some signs of the player he was prior to the gruesome ankle injury he suffered in his first game as Celtic…

While Hayward’s $34.2 million max salary is off the books, the Celtics don’t gain another max slot with him leaving. Moreover, the Celtics are currently over the $109.1 salary cap for next season. The Celtics’ salary for next season currently sits at $109.28 million, which includes the cap holds of first-round draft picks Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard as well as restricted free agents Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters.

Heat eliminate Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals, advance to NBA Finals

Sunday night at the Disney NBA bubble in Florida, the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 125-113, winning the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. The Heat advance to the NBA Finals, where they’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 1 of the Finals is Wednesday night on ABC TV.

Boston.com: The Celtics had a six-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Miami didn’t flinch. The Heat went on a 19-6 run to take a seven-point lead with just over four minutes remaining. They moved the ball with confidence and went back to their zone to reinvigorate themselves on the defensive end. Bam Adebayo led the way for Miami’s offense as it extended its lead to 12-points with three minutes left.

Boston.com:The Heat continued to ride that momentum, while Boston struggled to handle its opponent’s relentless energy. This series really came down to crunch-time execution, and that was the case again Sunday night. The Heat outscored the Celtics 35-17 over the final nine minutes of Game 6, leaving their final mark on the Eastern Conference Finals with authority.

Boston.com:The Celtics played great defense early in the fourth quarter, effectively slowing down the Heat, but their inability to close out games reared its head late. Miami exerted its dominance down the stretch as it did in all four of its Eastern Conference Finals wins, a fitting way to seal the deal in Game 6.

Boston Herald: “Though four Celtics scored at least 20 points, led by Jaylen Brown’s 26, they were unable to get the requisite stops. That especially was true where Adebayo and his rolls to the rim were concerned. The Celtics also missed a plethora of open shots down the stretch, with players like Gordon Hayward (5-for-12) and Kemba Walker (5-for-15) missing open layups. With the Celtics caught between his interior attack and the omnipresent threat of Miami’s shooters, the Heat put this one away with a 26-6 run in the fourth quarter that effectively squelched the Celtics’ season.

South Florida Sun Sentinel: “Sunday’s victory was powered by 32 points and 14 rebounds from Adebayo, as well as 22 points from Butler, 19 from Tyler Herro, 15 from Iguodala, 15 from Duncan Robinson and 13 from Goran Dragic. For the Celtics, there were 26 points from Jaylen Brown, 24 from Jayson Tatum, 20 from Marcus Smart and 20 from Kemba Walker.”

South Florida Sun Sentinel: “After going down six earlier in the fourth quarter, the Heat got a three-point play from Adebayo with 6:16 to play to go up 101-100. The counterpunching continued from there, with Celtics center Daniel Theis fouling out with 5:30 to play and the Heat then calling time out while up 104-102. A minute later, a Duncan Robinson 3-pointer put the Heat up 107-102. The Heat eventually made it a 26-6 run, for a 14-point lead. At one point, the Celtics went 3 1/2 minutes without a point. By then, it was time for the white flag from the Celtics.”

Getting Gordon Hayward back big for Celtics in playoffs

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Celtics, who got Gordon Hayward back in action Saturday in winning Game 3. The Heat still lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 to be played on Wednesday:

With Gordon Hayward back in the mix, the Celtics are making no pretense about anything other than getting their top five players on the court as much as possible the balance of these Eastern Conference finals as often as feasible.

“Well, the hard part about that is we never had all five or very rarely had all five available during the regular season before the hiatus,” Stevens said of the quintet of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Hayward. “It was only like 12 or 13 games. And then when we got here, Kemba wasn’t practicing for the first few weeks, so we never really got into that stuff much.”

Then came Hayward’s return in Saturday’s Game 3 from a month off due to a severely sprained ankle, with the goal now to tie the series in Wednesday’s 8:30 p.m. Game 5 in the best-of-seven series at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex.

“The idea was that we have to get those guys on the court as much as possible,” Stevens said of Game 3.

Celtics foward Gordon Hayward discusses his ankle injury

The Celtics will be without forward Gordon Hayward for around four weeks due to a bad ankle sprain. The key forward spoke on the injury today. Here’s the Boston Herald on it:

“It’s definitely gutting, it sucks. There’s nothing else to say about that,” said Hayward. “It’s definitely frustrating, it doesn’t feel great at the moment. Just try to get better as soon as I can.”

Hayward said he knew as soon as he sustained the injury that it was serious. His awareness towards severe injuries will forever be heightened in the aftermath of the gruesome broken left ankle he suffered in his first game as a Celtic on opening night in 2017.

“I heard it and felt it and knew it wasn’t just your casual rolled ankle,” he said. “It was swollen by the time I was leaving the court, so I knew it was definitely worse than normal. As far as timeline, it’s kind of up in the air. I think it’s kind of just how my body responds to the rehab and all that stuff.

“Maybe I could use some Disney magic to help me get better.”

The Celtics are looking good in the first round, currently up 2-0 in their series against a Sixers team that is without Ben Simmons and looking vulnerable.

Gordon Hayward returning soon for Celtics

 

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Gordon Hayward’s return date for the Boston Celtics is soon. Very soon. Possibly even tomorrow.

Here’s Boston.com reporting:

Celtics forward Gordon Hayward says he could return from his left fractured hand as early as Monday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Tomorrow is a possibility,” a smiling Hayward said Sunday at the Auerbach Center. “We’ll see how I feel when I wake up and go through shootaround.”

Hayward returned to practice Sunday for the first time since suffering the injury in the second quarter of a game against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 9.

And here’s the Boston Herald:

And once he takes the court again, Hayward can do it with the knowledge that unless the screws in his hand start to bother him, he won’t have to have them removed. Instead, the greatest challenge now, beyond tolerance to pain whenever someone whacks him on the hand, is getting back into basketball shape.

The Celtics are 16-5 this season, which through Saturday’s games places them third best in the entire league.

Gordon Hayward still expected to return for Celtics in late December

 

 

 

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There is some news on Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, though it does not indicate any sort of change in the timing of his eventual return from injury.

According to the Boston Herald, “nothing’s changed with his timeline — Gordon Hayward is still expected to be out until late December as he recovers from left hand surgery — but the Celtics forward shot around following yesterday’s practice without any protection on the hand.”

The Celtics are 11-4 this season, and have lost two straight games. They received fortunate news regarding guard Kemba Walker, who suffered what appeared to be a potentially scary injury but wound up merely being day-to-day. The team’s next game is tomorrow at home against the Sacramento Kings.