NBA rumors: Veteran scoring machine on the market amid Hornets rebuild

As the Charlotte Hornets continue to dump their veterans for a roster centered around LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and an injury-recovering Mark Williams, it seems like the franchise is making a former one-time available on the market. According to Sam Vecenie of the Athletic, Gordon Hayward is available for trade.

The one-time All-Star is on the last year of a four-year contract worth $120 million. Despite Hayward's past injuries making him not what he used to be, the wing can certainly be a solid contributor to a playoff squad. Still, the veteran will most likely get exposed on the defensive end which will force teams with championship aspirations to limit his minutes.

It will be tough for most contending squads to give out a first-round pick for Hayward since the scoring machine is owed a lot of money this season and it will likely require a contending team to have a bad enough contract that they are willing to swap out. As the deadline approaches, what teams could be interested in trading for the bucket-getting wing?

What teams could be interested in trading for Gordon Hayward?

As Vecenie points out in his piece, the Sixers could have an interest in trading for Hayward if the market is low enough. Philadelphia has plenty of expiring contracts to offer and the trade market might be small enough to force Charlotte to settle for one or two second-round picks. Another squad that could end up trading for Hayward is the Orlando Magic.

The Magic are a contender for the playoffs that could benefit from Hayward's bench scoring and could easily offer Joe Ingles, Gary Harris, and a protected first-round pick to get a deal done. The Magic could also use Hayward's veteran leadership as the franchise makes the playoffs with a squad that is extremely young and doesn't have much playoff experience from their stars.

Of course, there are plenty of franchises that will be interested in Hayward if the Hornets are unable to reach a deal and buy out the wing. The Lakers, Knicks, Thunder, and many other franchises will be able to offer plenty of minutes for the wing to entice the veteran to sign with them. Even if Hayward doesn't get dealt to a contender by the trade deadline, he may get bought out to a squad that is heading for a playoff run.