Report: Hornets star 'absolutely for the taking' ahead of trade deadline

At 8-28 on the season, the Charlotte Hornets may be setting one of their former All-Stars free.

In a podcast appearance this week, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that the Hornets are making veteran wing Gordon Hayward available for trade. Fischer says Hayward is “absolutely for the taking” right now and adds that teams are also monitoring him as a possible buyout candidate.

With less than a month to go before the trade deadline, the soon-to-be 34-year-old Hayward doesn’t figure to have much of a future in Charlotte any longer. He has already spent the last four seasons with them and is now in the final year of his contract at $31.5 million (making him a huge expiring).

Hayward can still provide some good pop, averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season. But he has a ridiculously lengthy injury history and is currently nursing a calf issue that has kept him out since late December. Still, Hayward once had trade interest from a top contender not extremely long ago, and now teams may have the option of pursuing him via buyout if they do not want to give up any assets for him.