NBA Trade Rumors: Will Disgruntled OKC Star Team Up With Nikola Jokic and Co.

With the NBA campaign nearing its conclusion, trade rumors have become the driving force of the conversations. Gordon Hayward has emerged as a prominent name on this list as question marks thicken over his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This has consequently opened up doors for him to potentially team up with Nikola Jokic & Co., paving the way for a sensational trade.

According to DNVR Sports’ Harrison Wind, Jokic’s Denver Nuggets admire Hayward’s qualities. So, at this stage, it’s tough to rule out the glaring possibility of the defending champions making a move for the veteran forward in the coming weeks.

The likelihood of this trade further increases considering the current dynamic between OKC and Hayward. Following the team’s exit from the Western Conference Semifinals, the 34-year-old publicly voiced his displeasure with the management. During a post-game interview with The Athletic’s Andrew Schlecht, he outlined the tension between the parties, stating,

“Obviously disappointing with kinda how it all worked out…I feel as a player, I have a lot to offer. Just wasn’t really given much of an opportunity to do that”.

The obvious limitations of his role within the roster majorly spurred his unhappiness. After all, Hayward was a starting forward for the Charlotte Hornets before moving to Oklahoma, coming off the bench only once in nearly three and a half years. He always repaid this faith with consistent outputs; for instance, registering 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game this season.

Upon joining OKC in February 2024, Hayward perhaps expected this trend to continue. However, it turned out to be anything but that. The franchise utilized him as a bench player, handing him merely 3 starts for the rest of the regular season. This nearly halved his minutes per game, resulting in a diminished production of 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in 26 appearances.

The situation became even more twisted during the playoffs. Throughout the postseason, Hayward didn’t receive a single start, coming off the bench during each of his 7 appearances. Playing for a restricted 6.6 minutes per game, he failed to score a single point, recording 1.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.

This outlined two things – firstly, the franchise’s blind trust in its young core to create a difference, and secondly, their lack of belief in Hayward’s capabilities. Understandably, this dynamic frustrated the veteran as he believed he had much more left in his tank.

That’s why, Hayward already had a foot out of the door even before the end of their playoff run. With the franchise also highlighting this trade as a missed opportunity, the end of their partnership could soon come to an abrupt end.

The Oklahoma City Thunder realized their mistake later on

The OKC traded for Hayward on the deadline day to free up their roster spots. However, bringing in a steady performer of his stature cost the franchise heavily. They had to let go of three of their players, and two future second-round picks, and add cash considerations to this deal.

Reflecting on this trade at the end of the campaign, the organization could only regret its actions. Shortly after Hayward’s controversial public remarks, General Manager Sam Presti expressed his thoughts while indirectly hitting back at the player. During a press conference, he declared,

“I missed on that. That’s on me. But I’m learning. Trying to learn this team…Just trying to be a great observer of this team as it’s going through its paces knowing that it’s really gonna change on its own…I don’t think I read that one perfect”.

So, it’s potentially over between two parties. They just now need to put this on paper in the upcoming days. With the Nuggets lurking around to bring Hayward to Colorado, this will also probably happen soon. As a result, this will mark a sad ending of yet another much-anticipated trade in the NBA, with both sides looking forward to moving on.