By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Gordon Hayward is officially a player of the Charlotte Hornets. Both his new team and the Boston Celtics announced the sign-and-trade deal between the two sides that sends the former All-Star forward to Charlotte in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
Per Hornets:
Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has acquired forward Gordon Hayward, a 2023 and 2024 second-round draft pick from the Boston Celtics in exchange for a protected 2022 second-round draft pick as part of a sign-and-trade transaction between the two teams. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gordon and his family to the Hornets organization and Charlotte,” said Kupchak. “Gordon is an NBA All-Star, a proven scorer and playmaker and a tough competitor that will fit well into the needs of our team. We believe that his basketball talent, NBA experience and veteran leadership will make a positive impact on our young, talented team as it continues to develop.”
A 10-year NBA veteran, Hayward has appeared in 641 regular-season games (479 starts) with the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics and has averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. He holds career shooting averages of .451 from the field, .366 from three-point range and .823 from the free throw line. The 6-7 forward has appeared in 29 postseason games (16 starts) with Utah and Boston, averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 33.0 minutes per game.
Over the last three seasons in Boston, Hayward appeared in 125 games (71 starts) and averaged 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 28.9 minutes per game, shooting .484 from the field. While with the Celtics, the 30-year-old matched his regular-season career high with 39 points against Cleveland on Nov. 5, 2019.
Throughout his seven seasons with Utah, Hayward played in 516 regular season games (408 starts) and averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.45 assists in 31.3 minutes, shooting .444 percent from the field and .368 from three-point range. During the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, Hayward led Utah in three-pointers made, with 143 and 149 respectively. He ranks second behind only John Stockton (845) in franchise history for three-pointers made with 689. While with Utah, Hayward was named to the 2017 Western Conference All-Star Team and was selected to play in the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge. In 2017, Hayward led the team to its first playoff series win since 2010. In Game 3 vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, he posted a career-high 40 points, setting a Jazz franchise postseason record for most points in a single quarter with 21 first-quarter points. Hayward added 26 points during Game 7 to advance Utah to the second round.
An Indianapolis, Indiana native, Hayward was drafted ninth overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2010 NBA Draft after a two-year collegiate career at Butler University where he led the team to the championship game of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.