How will Gordon Hayward fit in with the OKC Thunder?

How will Gordon Hayward fit in with the OKC Thunder?

The Thunder acquire big forward Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets I’m your host Andre schle with me is Dave de uh this is a pretty straightforward deal Gordon hayward’s expiring giant contract 31 and a half million going to the Thunder and this saves Charlotte a boatload of money they

Get the stavas Bon’s contract they get to try Trey man to see if Trey man’s got any juice in Charlotte uh makes sense for both teams and for the Thunder they they’ve needed a bigger Wing they needed a big Wing that could play the three and

The four that can shoot it you need somebody and this is something I’ve been harping on All Season like if the Thunder going to trade for somebody they need somebody that can play the style of play the Thunder play which means like you have to be able to handle you have

To be able to pass and you have to be able to shoot and like check check check if he can play which is a big if but what what hits you with this trade to Four free Gordon Hayward Gordon Hayward is too good of a player he’s had too

Good of a career to be stuck in Charlotte which is just a black hole of suck I mean it’s awful and now he’s been freed I I actually think that uh this is a great pickup for OKC for a lot of reasons I I thought that Hayward was a

Guy that was just sitting there right for a team like Golden State you know I don’t know that Chris Paul helps Golden State as much as Gordon Hayward would and for the same reasons being able to play the three the four I mean Gordon Hayward there maybe could play the five

Some for the OKC Thunder and him and Chad next to each other works him and Shay next to each other works he can attack off the dribble this is the guy that they’ve been missing you know he he can sort of fill that Josh giddy role

Since Josh giddy is not any good he could slide in there and come playoff time you got a veteran you can trust but it’s all about health can he just can he give him 25 to 28 minutes a night uh four games out of out of six that’s what

They need and then come playoff time they’re going to need him every game so I think that all of the all of the reasons that you laid out why he fits they’re perfect the other thing great guy to have in the locker room you get a

Veteran who’s been a a star in this league to come in for this upand cominging young team I I love that idea and I I think that that’s an sort of an under reported star uh part of young teams picking up really good veterans like Gordon Hayward is that he actually

Knows what it’s about when you when you get to the playoffs he can talk to these guys about the situations and and how it feels to be in it so I think you’re adding experience some leadership and then the the on court stuff all fits for him so I I’d love

This straight for OKC yeah and he’s basically ancient in Oklahoma City he’d be by far the oldest guy on the team at 33 so so old so so old just nearly dead I mean I mean it’s close he so something that the Thunder need is more

Shooting and and guys that can play on both ends and shoot so like they traded Berton who obviously can shoot but you know a guy who played in very he can only shoot sparksman yeah it’s the only thing he wants to do you know but he’s

So Hayward shot 40% for his career from the corners which I think is really important like he’s a good Corner three-point shooter this year 41 previous year 43 the year before that 44 like he’s consistently been a good shooter from the corners which I think is something that’s going to help the

Thunder for sure and then just his passing his smarts I mean dnal wants guys that can make plays themselves it’s not just one guy like they don’t just wanted to run through Shay and that be it they want to play a style of play that can run through everybody and

Gordon Hayward can do that he can come through he can dribble he can pass he can do all of that which I think is great and then for for the Hornets they get Bon’s contract which has only 5 million guaranteed they could even use it as a trade chip themselves you know

Moving forward like they could trade him this Summer they can trade him next season I think those things would be very helpful like it’s a helpful tool for them and they could also just exercise the termination option and he’s only guaranteed five million at the start of next season or for next season

So there’s a lot of opt there for them and then they get tray man who is a a nice shot Creator on his own he has one of the sickest step backs I’ve ever seen I mean one of the best in the league he’s been buried on this OKC team

Because he doesn’t quite fit the style of play for them but I think Trey could go to Charlotte and have a nice stent with them and they can figure out if they want to keep him now they have a lot of kind of these like smaller like

Creation kind of guards and so he just kind of gets thrown in the mix with like the Nick Smiths and those guys but and the book Knights but I think he’s better I mean he’s obvious oh he’s and he’s better yeah the other thing is style of

Play for for him going to Charlotte doesn’t matter they don’t have a style of play so he can just go there and do whatever he wants and showcase himself a little bit um as far as Berton go you know I actually hope he gets bought out

And can go sign with a team in Europe for the for the Euro league final four run I I’m watching Berton last year in the World Cup and the way that he played with that laan team like just running off screens I mean the in the NBA he’s

Not as valuable doing that even though he is excellent at it he’s incredibly fast he’s a really good athlete and he can really shoot it but his defense is so awful he just can’t hang in the NBA so I’m hoping for him to get bought out

Go make a run in the Euro league with somebody maybe come back in the summer and you know sign a sign a smaller deal with another team but Trey man I think’s got a shot like you said he can create his own shot it’s the most valuable

Skill in the NBA and he’s gonna have a chance in Charlotte to show that he can do it so I expect him to stick around I I think that they’ll find a spot for him I like him better than the other guys that they’ve got aside from lamelo and I

Think that he’s an NBA player and so the more of those that Charlotte can add to their roster the better because they don’t really have any outside of Lamela I mean it’s just it’s a rough situation in Charlotte and this is at least a move in the right direction

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The Athletic NBA Show reacts to the Oklahoma City Thunder trading the Charlotte Hornets for Gordon Hayward.