3. Gordon Hayward
There is one particular player on the Charlotte Hornets who seems likely to be moved and could be an intriguing option to bolster the depth of a contending team. That player is Gordon Hayward.
Hayward has proven to be a more than competent scorer in his career, averaging 15.5 points per game on 45.5% from the field and 36.9% from three-point range. This is a more than solid level of production that most teams would like to have on their roster, and it could help the Hornets when it comes to potential trade talks this season.
While it does seem like the production of Hayward could help out the Hornets, two things must be taken into account here. First is Charlotte’s competitive timeline. The Hornets are not going to be a team that is going to resemble a team that is going to compete for anything worthwhile for quite some time.
The other factor is the presence of rookie Brandon Miller. Miller is expected to be a huge part of this team’s future and is going to need to occupy a spot in the starting rotation sooner rather than later. Taking into consideration how well Miller’s career has started, it is only going to be a matter of time before he supplants Hayward in the starting lineup. Charlotte should look to move Hayward before swapping him with Miller in order to get the best possible return via trade.