GOOD NEWS: Warriors just sign veteran star Gordon Hayward for $85 million from Oklahoma City Thunder…
During the NBA’s offseason, we’ve got nothing to do but speculate. We don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s every possibility that players will outperform expectations. When they do, they render our speculation moot.
Take Chris Paul of the Golden State Warriors. Paul showed signs of age-related decline last year. As a pick-and-roll dominant playmaker, he’s not a natural fit in the Warriors’ system. On the other hand, Paul is a basketball genius. He and the Warriors could absolutely make this thing work.
Can Gordon Hayward and the Charlotte Hornets? It’s worth noting that the Hornets just drafted a wing in Brandon Miller. They’re also expecting to welcome Miles Bridges back into the fold. There may not be a place left for Hayward on the Hornets. Could they send him to the Warriors?
Golden State Warriors receive: F Gordon Hayward
After all, no team plans for failure. When a team acquires a player, they likely have a vision for them. On the other hand, some players are acquired out of desperation. They may have a vision – but it’s a vision that’s merely better than a bad alternative.
It feels like that’s why the Warriors acquired Paul. It clearly wasn’t working with Jordan Poole. There are character concerns about Poole, and we know he wasn’t getting along with all of his teammates. We’ll leave it at that – if you’re an NBA fan, you know what we’re referring to.
Why The Golden State Warriors Do The Deal
From the Warriors’ perspective, this is a simple win-now upgrade. Paul is old, and he’s not getting any younger. It’s rational to assume that he’s about to have his worst season as an NBA player. By contrast, that isn’t the case for Hayward.
Granted, Hayward won’t be the player that he used to be. At one time, he was a rising star in the NBA. Still, Hayward is solid. He provides some floor spacing and some secondary playmaking. Hayward is a good NBA player, and that isn’t likely to change in 2023-24.
