We’ve got ourselves a trade. Fans around the NBA are talking about it. The Miami Heat have acquired Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets.
This is interesting. Rozier is in the midst of a career year. In exchange for his services, the Hornets received an expiring contract in Kyle Lowry. They also received a lottery protected first in 2027 – if it doesn’t convey, it will be unprotected in 2028.
The Hornets are looking to the future. The rumors are suggesting that they aren’t done making moves. In all likelihood, they’ll shop Gordon Hayward as the trade deadline approaches. Here are three teams that should be interested in him.
Golden State Warriors
Hayward has a lucrative deal. It happens to be expiring. The Hornets would do well to identify a trade partner with some longer-term money on their hands. The Hornets could send them Hayward in exchange for a longer, negative contract – at a cost, of course.
In other words, they should get on the phone with the Warriors. They’ll have options. The most obvious path would be to find a deal that swaps Hayward for Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton III, and some modest draft capital. With that said, the Warriors could even have some interest in moving Draymond Green.
Alternatively, they may not have an interest in Hayward. He’s a solid player, but with a decent collection of draft capital and young players, the Warriors may go after a bigger fish. If they’re not interested in the veteran wing, this next team might be.
Philadelphia 76ers
With that said, the Hornets don’t need to take on bad money. They could look for a suitor who has some expiring contracts attached to worse players than Hayward. That suitor could be open to making a win-now upgrade without any long-term commitment.
By that measure, the Sixers could be a suitable trade partner. They could move Marcus Morris Sr. and Robert Covington for Hayward. They’re both on expiring contracts. They’re also both less impactful than Hayward – the Sixers would have to attach some modest draft capital to the deal.
Like the Warriors, they may prefer to go all-in on a star. In that event, they won’t be interested n Hayward either. Is there a team that would prioritize expiring money above all else?
Atlanta Hawks
With the Warriors and the Sixers, we’ve got an idea of how a deal would look. When it comes to the Hawks, we’re less confident. In all likelihood, the Hornets won’t be interested in Dejounte Murray as they build around LaMelo Ball.
They could be interested in De’Andre Hunter. If the Hornets are willing to part with draft capital to flip Hayward for a younger, better-fitting player, there could be a deal there. What if they aren’t?
Well, the Hornets could still get involved as a facilitator in a three-team Murray deal. If the Hawks could find a way to turn Murray into an expiring contract and some draft capital, they’d likely be satisfied. Don’t be surprised if we’ve got another trade on our hands soon.
