Charlotte Hornets: Pros and Cons of signing Gordon Hayward

Pros of the Charlotte Hornets adding Gordon Hayward to the roster

Gordon Hayward, despite fighting a few injuries in the last few years, is still a great athlete and a productive basketball player. Hayward is still great on both sides of the ball and he looks to bring some energy to Charlotte while re-sparking his career after a few rehabilitating years in Boston.

Hayward is very offensively capable averaged just shy of 20 points per game with a handful of rebounds and a few assists in his last season for the Boston Celtics. Hayward is very efficient from the field, shooting a phenomenal 50 percent from the court.

Hayward also has an innate ability to stretch the floor as a legitimate threat from range behind the perimeter. Hayward will be great at the catch-and-shoot from the arch this season, where the Hornets have heavily struggled with their three-point game for the last few years.

Hayward will likely come into Charlotte with a tenacity to get his career back to the caliber that he was before leaving Utah. This drive can flow from the top of the roster, all the way to the bottom of the lineup.

Haywards can also be a good pair with the newly-drafted LaMelo Ball as a good receiver on the perimeter for catch-and-shoot three’s. The great thing is that Hayward isn’t a very ball-dominant player and doesn’t have to have possession to be effective.

Hayward is a good veteran presence to be around the young forwards Miles Bridges and PJ Washington and according to ESPN’s The Sam Avolis Show, the Hornets may not be able to keep both players in the future of the organization since they virtually play very similar. If this is the case, adding Hayward will be good for both player’s developments before deciding which forward to keep long-term.

This move also gives the Charlotte Hornets the perfect opportunity to waive Nic Batum.