Former All-Star and lottery pick Gordon Hayward is retiring from the NBA, he announced Thursday.
The Utah Jazz drafted Hayward ninth overall in 2010, and he played the first seven seasons of his career with the franchise. His final campaign in Utah was the best of his NBA tenure, averaging 21.9 points per game.
Following that year, Hayward signed with the Boston Celtics, though he suffered a season-ending leg injury five minutes into his first appearance with the team. He played two more years in Boston before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Hayward started 167 of the 168 games he played in Charlotte from 2020-24 before being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder at last year’s trade deadline. The veteran was barely used in OKC, playing under seven minutes per game in the playoffs and going scoreless.
