Worst Landing Spot: Indiana Pacers
It’s hard to think of a good reason to link Gordon Hayward to the Indiana Pacers, yet, he is regularly linked to them. It’s hard not to speculate that his being from the area is a large contributing factor.
Otherwise, the Pacers don’t suit Hayward at all. They’re in the infancy stages of a rebuild. Moving from the Hornets to the Pacers would likely land him in a less competitive situation.
Granted, the small market Pacers would probably like to accelerate their rebuild. They are not an organization that’s known to be in favor of long-term, tanking-based team-building methods.
Landing Hayward would still seem wildly premature. The Pacers are in no position to hand out a $30 million contract to a player that will probably never make another All-Star game. Meanwhile, Hayward is in no career position to mentor a rebuild.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 2 Trade Packages To Send Gordon Hayward To Indiana Pacers
The hometown kid’s return makes for a nice story, but it’s just not practical in his case. Both sides should pass on this potential partnership.
