Miami Heat Linked With Gordon Hayward
With the season progressing and the Miami Heat encountering roster problems, they have once again been linked to Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward.
This time, though, they will have to compete with the Dallas Mavericks and other possible teams.
On Thursday, Heavy.com reported the Heat and Mavericks are among the teams who could potentially target the 2017 All-Star. Hayward, 32, is under a four-year, $120 million contract with the Hornets. If he stays with them, he could make $30.1 million this season and $31.5 million next season.
However, Hayward is dealing with a shoulder injury he sustained Nov. 2 against the Chicago Bulls. Injuries have always been a major problem in Hayward’s career. The worst injury he had was the gruesome ankle injury he had in the season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he was with the Boston Celtics. Some have debated whether he was the same player after it.
Acquiring Hayward would be a big deal for the Heat. They are still in need of a player to fill in the power forward spot that was left open when P.J. Tucker departed to the Philadelphia 76ers. When Hayward is healthy, he could be a huge threat in terms of scoring. He is shooting 45 percent from the field in his career and 37 percent from the 3-point line.
With Pat Riley in control of things, the Heat are in a great spot to acquire Hayward but he does have some competition.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog https://allball30.wordpress.com
