Gordon Hayward Will Not Play for OKC Thunder Until After All-Star Break
The Oklahoma City Thunder conducted their practice available to the media since the NBA Trade Deadline on Friday, as starting forward Jalen Williams and head coach Mark Daigneault commented on the Gordon Hayward trade.
Daigneault announced at practice today that Hayward would be ruled out until after the All-Star Break, something that the team knew before making the move. The Thunder bench boss wants to put the 33-year-old veteran through the team's return-to-play protocol "as if he had been here the whole time," which will, in turn, help him integrate into the team.
This means the former Hornet forward's earliest possible debut will be on Feb. 22 against the L.A. Clippers at the Paycom Center.
Daigneault gave an appraisal of what Hayward can bring to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"More versatility, similar to a lot of guys we have, which allows us to be flexible and use him and everybody else in a lot of different ways. We will learn him, we are not in a rush to do anything right now, we will figure out his game and figure out how he fits in, but we are certainly really excited about him."
Hayward is the oldest player on the Thunder and has played in the most playoff games (29), which Daigneault highlights as a positive for the Thunder.
"We have an open team to really anything, a really open-minded, adaptive team. He is experienced, he has been around, he has been in big games, guys will tap into that...It is important to acknowledge also that he is not here for that purpose, he is here because we think he can help us on the basketball court,"
Williams said of his new teammate, "[Gordon Hayward] can kinda do what a lot of us do, stretch the floor, guard multiple positions...he does a lot of things well offensively, defensively, we are looking forward to having him."
Though the trade deadline is not all sunshine and rainbows, the emotions of it "Suck," according to Williams, who watched as Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, and Vasilije Micic were shipped to Charlotte.
"Tre [Mann] is a big part of the organization and just our team, especially how we have been over these last two years. He means a lot ot everybody in here. Everybody is excited he kinda gets a fresh start in Charlotte. It is kinda bittersweet."
Williams is excited for Hayward's experience saying "age is a good thing to have on the team," but did make it known to the media that the roster has been ribbing Hayward in the locker room about his age already.
Other Notes:
Mark Daigneault was asked about the Thunder not going out and getting a more traditional big man at the trade deadline. "In terms of what moves to make, again, Sam [Presti] is going to do that, and a lot of that is based on opportunity, there is a lot of layers...None of those decisions are in a vacuum that he is making...The type of person that we have here, how they fit the organization, how they fit the locker room...I would just say anything you change, or anything you do in general is a very inter-connective game. Every decision you make with the roster or a decision I am on the court is a domino."
Isaiah Joe is "doing good" and practiced today with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Joe has missed the Thunder's last four contests with a sternum contusion.
The Thunder enjoyed three straight off days this week, which is extremely rare in the NBA; Jalen Williams spent that time catching up on sleep.
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