The Oklahoma City Thunder made a last-minute splash to acquire Gordon Hayward at this year’s NBA trade deadline. But it didn’t quite work out the way he or the team envisioned.
Hayward, who’s on an expiring deal, averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 26 games (three starts) for the Thunder. When the postseason rolled around his time on the court became almost nonexistent. The forward was held scoreless in three games against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, and played a total of three minutes.
While the trade helped clear $35 million in cap space for the Thunder going into free agency this summer, general manager Sam Presti admitted to the deal being one that he missed on.
Fanatics Sportsbook
10X$100 BONUS BET
BET MATCH BONUS
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY ,MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)
“I missed on that. That’s on me,” he told reporters Tuesday at his end-of-season press conference. “But I’m learning. I’m trying to learn this team. I’m trying to learn the pace of the team a little bit. I’m just trying to be a great observer of the team as it’s going through these paces, knowing that it’s really going to change on its own.
“… I would have liked it to have worked out better for Gordon, but that’s just the way it goes” Presti later added.
At the time of the trade, Oklahoma City was in a good place and racking up wins. Bringing in a veteran like Hayward who was used to playing heaver minutes and having his role diminish quickly wasn’t something Presti thought about when he made the deal.
Hayward admitted to being disappointed by how his tenure in OKC played out, to which Presti agreed with.
It’s unclear what Hayward’s market will look like this offseason, but it doesn’t sound as if a reunion with the Thunder will happen. Regardless, Oklahoma City is set up nicely to bolster its team this summer.
- Highly anticipated sportsbooks like BetMGM Massachusetts, along with Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts have been live since Spring of 2023. New players can use promo codes like the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo.
