Portland Trail Blazers

Trading away Robert Covington, Norman Powell and CJ McCollum at the trade deadline signaled to everyone that the Portland Trail Blazers are rebuilding, but the organization would simply like to “re-tool” around Damian Lillard. 

Finding other high-level talents to surround Lillard with will be key for the Blazers in the offseason, which is why someone like Gordon Hayward could be appealing to them. 

He is a former All-Star wing that has proven to be a factor on offense over the last two seasons in Charlotte and Gordon Hayward can still be relied upon to be a primary scoring weapon. 

Next to Damian Lillard, he would not have to control the pace of play for the Blazers, allowing Hayward to be a little more rested than he currently is in Charlotte, and he could play an integral part in the Portland Trail Blazers turning things around quickly. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Offseason Moves For Charlotte Hornets To Already Think About

The only problem though for the Blazers in regards to pursuing Gordon Hayward’s large contract is the fact that they may have a money problem on their hands with Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic both being free agents. 

As of right now, the Trail Blazers payroll for the 2022-23 season is around $77 million, but signing both Simons and Nurkic to new deals could bring them to the cap line right away, meaning that trading for Hayward would set them above the luxury tax line. 

It is certainly possible for the Blazers to pursue Gordon Hayward, but the money aspect of this trade may not be too favorable for the long-term, especially since they have some unique, young pieces on their roster right now that the team would not want to get rid of for Hayward.