NBA insider reveals target return date for Hornets' Gordon Hayward

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, who has missed nine consecutive games with a left shoulder fracture, is “hopeful” he’ll be able to return to action on Friday against the Hawks, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski, Hayward will determine whether he’s ready to go after Friday’s shootaround.

Hayward also missed eight straight games early last month with what the Hornets called a left shoulder contusion. That apparent discrepancy was a point of contention for Hayward’s wife, who criticized the organization for not protecting its players after her husband was diagnosed with a fracture, not a contusion.

The 32-year-old has always been a productive player when healthy, and this season has been no different. Through 11 games (32.3 MPG) in 2022-23, he’s averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists on .445/.381/.767 shooting.

Hayward’s potential return will be a welcome sight for both the player and the team, as star point guard LaMelo Ball just returned on Wednesday. Ball has appeared in just four games thus far for the Hornets after dealing with a couple of left ankle sprains.

Injuries have been a significant issue for Hayward since he joined Boston as a free agent in 2017, but if he can stay healthy for the next few months, perhaps he’ll boost his stock. He has one more year left on his current contract, which will pay him $31.5M in 2023-24, so he’ll be a free agent in 2024.