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Charlotte Hornets forward one of NBA’s most overpaid players

ByJames Mastrucci|
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 03: The Charlotte Hornets logo is pictured on a uniform against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on February 03, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 03: The Charlotte Hornets logo is pictured on a uniform against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on February 03, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

When it comes to the most overpaid players in the NBA, there are a few names that instantly come to mind. One of those players happens to have a roster spot on the 2023-2024 Charlotte Hornets roster and has been named to Bleacher Report’s All-Overpaid 2nd Team, or Honorable Mention section of a list compiling the most overpaid players in the league.

That player is Gordon Hayward. With a base salary of $31.5 million that takes up just over 23% of their salary cap, Hayward’s entry on this list does not come as a surprise. Hayward is the seventh-highest-paid small forward in the NBA and 14th among all forwards. There was a time that this would have been considered acceptable, or at worst tolerable, but that time has long passed. It is hard to justify the money allocated to the current version of Hayward.

Signing Hayward was always going to be a risky proposition for the Hornets. The now 33-year-old veteran has not been the same player since going down with a season-ending injury five minutes into his time with the Boston Celtics. Injuries have continued to be a recurring issue for Hayward, as he has appeared in 50 games just one time in a Hornets uniform.

Hayward has not been able to get back to the 21.9 points per game average he had in his final season with the Utah Jazz. In fact, he has not eclipsed 20 points per game, the closest being the 19.6 average from his first season in Charlotte. Despite not being able to reach the same level of offensive production in Charlotte, Hayward’s 16.6 points per game average in his first three seasons with the Hornets is higher than that of his average in Utah (15.7) and Boston (13.9).

This is more than likely Hayward’s last season in Charlotte, and there is a very real possibility that he will be moved during the season. Expect trade rumors involving the former Butler Bulldog to be a consistent theme throughout the year.

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