inked that mega contract in 2020, becoming the highest paid player in Charlotte Hornets’ history until LaMelo Ball’s deal kicks in next season, the road wasn’t supposed to be littered with basketball-sized potholes.
Hayward planned on building a formidable duo with Terry Rozier, joining forces with the same guy he played with in Boston to bring a winning product to Charlotte. It never happened, and certainly won’t now with Rozier sent to Miami, beginning the deconstruction — and retooling — of the Hornets’ flawed roster.
“Having guys get traded is always tough because you build relationships and get to know people,” Hayward said before sitting out the Hornets’ matchup with Toronto at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.