Report: Thunder acquire Gordon Hayward from Hornets

Dec 29, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (20) shoots as he is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired veteran forward Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Tre Mann and Davis Bertans, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This is a nice deal for OKC. It doesn’t give up anything serious as Mann and Bertans seldom played this season. Meanwhile, Hayward has an expiring $31.5 million salary, so there’s no long-term commitment.

In 25 games, Hayward has averaged 14.5 points on 48.6% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He’s shot 36.1% from 3 on 2.4 attempts. Nearly all of his 3-pointers resulted in assists (95.5%), so he’ll be a nice catch-and-shoot option for OKC.

Health is a bit of an issue as he hasn’t played since Dec. 26, but Hayward is inching closer to a return as he was recently designated as questionable for the Hornets.

The Thunder can also afford to be cautious with the 33-year-old as they’ll likely ask him to be a backup wing off the bench who can score. His immense playoff experience is also a valuable commodity for the young Thunder.

Meanwhile, Mann gets a fresh start and has the next 1.5 seasons to earn a second NBA deal. In three seasons, he’s averaging 8.5 points on 39.7% shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Report: Thunder acquire Gordon Hayward from Hornets