By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward will be out of action indefinitely, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The former All-Star has been out with a left shoulder fracture.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Hayward’s situation will be subject to week-to-week evaluation in order to be determined when he will be able to return to courts, per the player’s agent. Hayward had missed eight matches due to “shoulder bruise” in 2022-23.
The Hornets’ latest injury report ahead of the game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves (a 110 – 108 Charlotte win) listed Hayward as out due to a “knee contusion” and didn’t mention anything regarding a fracture. His wife Robyn wrote on her Instagram that her husband has a fractured scapula and that the team “had him play with it” in his last game, a 107 – 101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hayward, 32, spent 29 minutes on the floor vs. the Sixers, scoring seven points on 3-10 shots. “I’m over them not protecting players,” Robyn Hayward said. “Just was talking to a young player’s mom and she said the same.”
Since he joined the Hornets on a four-year, 120 million sign-and-trade deal (via the Boston Celtics) in 2020, Hayward has had several injury problems that forced him to miss several games. He played 44 matches in 2020-21, 49 in 2021-22 and is now sidelined 11 games into the season. He was averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.