Due to Klay Thompson’s departure from the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise has had an unpredictable offseason. They signed Buddy Hield and a few others in an attempt to try and replace him, but more might be on the way.
After the Warriors’ disappointing 10th-place finish in the Western Conference the previous year, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested three minimum contracts the team might look at as late “free agency steals.” Gordon Hayward, a former All-Star, was on Buckley’s list.
Although there are valid arguments in favor of Golden State becoming younger and more physically fit, those qualities are rarely acquired at a low cost. Buckley noted on July 18 that “an underappreciated veteran like Gordon Hayward might still linger in the clearance section.” “Yes, he has a terrifying past in terms of injuries, but no, he is not even close to the player he was at the top of his game.
Nevertheless, the seasoned swingman provides a ready-made combination of awareness, gut feeling, and the dribble-pass-shoot skill set needed to succeed in this system. Although he hasn’t played more than 55 games since 2018–19, he has usually had a strong season at this time. Over the last five seasons, he has averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in addition to a nice 47.5/38.5/82.3 shooting percentage.
Hayward Has Finished His NBA Career with Impressions
The Golden State Warriors would run a risk if they were to sign Hayward, a 34-year-old who has struggled with injuries throughout his career. Hayward hasn’t participated in more than 52 games in a year since the 2019–2020 campaign.
Aside from his previous tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he has been a terrific player when he has been on the court. Just two years have passed since Hayward’s season-high 14.7 point average and 47.5% field goal percentage.
He was scoring 19 points or more per game in the early parts of his career, and he even repeated that feat in the 2020–21 campaign with an average of 19.6 points per game.
In 2020, Hayward proved to be excellent enough to secure a $120 million, four-year contract. Due to his injuries, the contract didn’t work out as expected, but it does illustrate the kind of athlete he was at one point in his career. It would be up to the Warriors to hope he could revert to that form.
How the Warriors Would Benefit from Hayward
At this stage of his career, Hayward most likely plays a supporting role for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were even pushed to trade for him in December 2023 before the trade deadline because they could need his playmaking in the second unit.
Hayward was one of the top trade targets during the 2023–24 season, according to a report by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Among the two “best fits,” he mentioned the Warriors.
Hayward, for his part, hasn’t turned the ball over many times this season and has been a helpful secondary playmaker on offense. However, Vecenie said, “His shooting has strangely declined across the board, and he hasn’t shown much promise on defense either.
In the event that Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and other players on the bench are capable of shooting the ball better than average, Hayward may provide significant minutes.
The Warriors wouldn’t have to worry too much about it failing for a veteran minimum. If so, that would be an extra benefit.
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