Charlotte Hornets’ Gordon Hayward: The good and bad–his season recap

What does this mean for next year?

Hayward will be looking to bounce back from a down year. He’ll be in the final year of his contract, and any competitor would. And, despite his relatively advanced age, his healthy off-season may mean that he will return to something closer to the Hayward that was signed to Charlotte three years ago.

That might require Hayward to have a reduced role next season. Hayward was asked to do a lot and eat up a lot of minutes. And to his credit, the team was better with him on the court than with him off it. The offensive rating was a point better when he was on the court, and the defensive rating was over three points better. But with JT Thor improving, Svi Mykhailiuk possibly sticking around, and whatever additions the team makes in the off-season, Hayward may be tasked with doing less. And, in turn, that may allow him to play better.

The Hornets would love to see Hayward play better. Not just because a good showing could mean more wins for the ball club, but because Hayward could become a valuable trade asset with his money coming off the books. It seems unlikely Hayward would return after next year. If he has a renaissance year, it could mean the Hornets might not walk away empty-handed.