Hayward left Celtics seeking 'fresh start,' more important role

Gordon Hayward joined the Charlotte Hornets in the offseason in search of a prominent role that escaped him while with the Boston Celtics.

"I wanted a fresh start. I wanted a place where I could try to maximize who I was as a basketball player," Hayward told The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell.

Hayward, 30, was expected to blossom in Boston under his former college head coach Brad Stevens. Then a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle less than six minutes into his Celtics regular-season debut halted those plans.

In the interim, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum emerged as bona fide wing threats, sliding Hayward down Stevens' depth chart upon his return from a yearlong spell on the sidelines.

"Boston has a lot of great players, especially on the wing position: Guys who can do a lot of different things, like myself," Hayward added. "I just wanted to kind of maximize what I was."

Hayward, who turned down $34 million guaranteed to join the Hornets on a four-year, $120-million deal, will get the opportunity for a prominent role under Charlotte head coach James Borrego.

The 10-year veteran will also be in a position to provide a veteran presence while supporting Charlotte's young core of P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges, Devonte Graham, and LaMelo Ball.

Hornets assistant coach and former Butler teammate Ron Nored says Hayward has become a more vocal leader since their time together with the 2010 national finalists.

"To watch Gordon stop, bring his group together, and tell them what needed to be done in that moment? I was just, 'Wow!'" Nored told Bonnell.

"To command the room? Command a group? That was something I did not see (coming)," Nored added. "That’s exactly what the Charlotte Hornets have needed."

Hayward is cleared to make his Hornets regular-season debut on Wednesday evening against the Cleveland Cavaliers after suffering a fractured finger during the team's second preseason outing.