NBA TradeNews

NBA Rumors: Will Hornets Trade Gordon Hayward To Pacers?

NBA Rumors: Will Hornets Trade Gordon Hayward To Pacers?

The Indiana Pacers are 14-23 on the year and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference. By any objective measure, this is a lost season.

Unsurprisingly, the front office has essentially made everyone on the roster available for trade. They have also made their desired asking price for the team’s biggest stars known.

One name to keep an eye on heading into the NBA Trade Deadline is Gordon Hayward.

The Pacers previously made a push to acquire Gordon at the end of 2020. After he declined his $34.2 million player option with the Boston Celtics, the expectation was that Indiana would swoop in and pick him up.

Instead, the Charlotte Hornets came along and landed him on a four-year, $120 million.

Now is the perfect opportunity to right that wrong.

As noted by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Pacers are moving towards what has been described as a “substantial rebuild.” Who better to assist with that than Hayward, a player who has been at the center of the Hornets’ recent rebuild?

In a recent column, Brett Siegel of NBA Analysis Network suggested what could be a very reasonable swap for all parties involved. Essentially, the Hornets would send Hayward and two future second-round picks to Pacers in return for Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, and a 2023 first-round pick.

A clear win-win.

Frankly, it’s also a far better return for Turner than what the Los Angeles Lakers offered. And the New York Knicks. And the Golden State Warriors.

It remains to be seen if Indiana will ultimately be able to secure the Hayward trade that has eluded them for two years now. But if they do, it will help the team go in much stronger into 2022.

Related: Why Michael Jordan Apologized To Scottie Pippen (Video)

Charles Kruger

Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7's go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.

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