3 Gordon Hayward trades Hornets should explore this offseason

#2 Hornets help the Miami Heat land Damian Lillard

According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, a potential deal to send Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat would ‘almost certainly’ require adding a third team. Perhaps the Hornets could slide toward the negotiating table, hoping to acquire Tyler Herro while sending Gordon Hayward to Portland.

The Portland Trail Blazers would be acquiring a short-term deal in Gordon Hayward that would allow them to shed significant salary next summer while also receiving two future first-round picks and two future seconds. Duncan Robinson would also be under team control for multiple years and could become a valuable trade chip once the new Collective Bargaining Agreement comes into full force next summer.

Hayward likely isn’t the star return Portland would want, but he could provide solid minutes alongside Jerami Grant and Scoot Henderson in a rotation that will likely struggle in a stacked Western Conference. With multiple cap-space team’s looking to strengthen via free agency, the Heat and Trail Blazers may be short on willing trade partners willing to facilitate an NBA Finalist, further strengthening their roster. Currently, the Hornets don’t have enough skin in the game for Miami’s vast improvement to factor too deeply into their decision-making process.

Adding Tyler Herro would also remove the urgency to re-sign Miles Bridges and could allow the Hornets some flexibility in their decision-making process regarding the embattled guard. Miami would likely be on board with this trade, but there’s a legitimate chance the Trail Blazers are holding out for a bigger return than what this trade would give them.