Gordon Hayward Likely to Make OKC Thunder Debut Thursday
After near-constant deliberation, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally and officially made a deadline trade, acquiring former All-Star Gordon Hayward from Charlotte.
The move was well-received by fans and national media alike, with Hayward set to give a needed boost to OKC on a variety of fronts. Conclusions can be drawn that Hayward will likely take the court the first time in Paycom Center on Thursday.
In late-December, Hayward suffered a left calf strain, causing him to miss 24 games for the Hornets. The 6-foot-7 forward was already trending towards a return in February, being upgraded to questionable just one day before Charlotte shipped him to OKC. It ultimately made sense for the Thunder not to thrust him in too quickly with an upcoming break, but there should be no holds barred following it.
At 33 with a growing list of injuries in the past year — everything from calves to hamstrings, ankles and more — Hayward isn’t likely to see a bulk of minutes when he does take the floor for OKC.
With players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and a host of others already anchoring the No. 2 seed in the West, it's a luxury the Thunder, aren't necessarily reliant on Hayward’s talents. Still, the team could certainly use his infusion of scoring versatility.
Depending on his fit and availability, the former All-Star could be staring at a larger or even starting role in the future — especially come playoff time — but for now his playing time should hover around 20 minutes per game.
Oklahoma City takes on the previously-scorching LA Clippers at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Paycom Center.
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