Former All-Star being monitored as potential buyout candidate

It is worth noting that if brought out of his deal by the Hornets, Hayward would be unlikely to land on a genuine contending team. Due to the new salary cap rules that came into force at the start of the season, a significant portion of contenders fall under the second apron of the luxury tax. That limits them from acquiring players off the buyout market who were earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. 

Still, Hayward could potentially land with a team that believes he is the missing piece to their bench rotation. During his tenure with the Hornets, Hayward has averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.9% from 3-point range. That type of production rarely becomes available via the buyout market. 

Of course, an interested team could look to acquire Hayward via trade and shed his salary in the summer. Yet, creating a trade package that both matches salary and entices the Hornets would be difficult. 

Therefore, Hayward is probably either going to see out the final months of his deal in Charlotte or hit the buyout market in the coming months. Either way, he will likely find himself on a new team by the end of the year.