Gordon Hayward Declines Invite to Play in Rio 2016 Olympics

Utah Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward turned down the chance to play for Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.   

Via his representation, Priority Sports, Hayward released a statement explaining his decision on Thursday:

Hayward is far from the only American player to withdraw from roster consideration for the 2016 Games. Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (via NBA.com) named a handful of players who will not play in Rio, including Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, John Wall, James Harden and LaMarcus Aldridge.

What’s more, NBA Finals MVP LeBron James announced on Thursday he will not join Team USA at the Olympics, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

Mahoney pointed out USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo said the players who declined invitations did so because of injury, but Zika virus is a concern for the Brazil Games. Mahoney noted Brazil “has been hit hard by the mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults."

Hayward mentioned in his statement that he and his wife are expecting a second child.

The Americans could have used a versatile forward like Hayward, especially since James is skipping the event. Hayward entered the league in 2010 as a first-round pick out of Butler and has increased his scoring totals every year of his career. He can stretch opposing defenses with the three-point shot, attack the rim off the dribble and convert free throws with solid accuracy.

Hayward contributes on the glass as well and has posted consistent numbers as one of Utah’s go-to options:

Season	Points	Rebounds	Field-Goal Percentage	Free-Throw Percentage	Three-Point Percentage
2010-11	5.4	1.9	48.5	71.1	47.3
2011-12	11.8	3.5	45.6	83.2	34.6
2012-13	14.1	3.1	43.5	82.7	41.5
2013-14	16.2	5.1	41.3	81.6	30.4
2014-15	19.3	4.9	44.5	81.2	36.4
2015-16	19.7	5.0	43.3	82.4	34.9

Team USA didn’t just miss out on offense with this decision. Hayward isn’t an elite defender, but he does hold his own on the interior against taller players. Opponents shot 1.3 percent worse from inside 10 feet than their normal averages when Hayward (6'8") guarded them in 2015-16, per NBA.com.

The Americans will need a small forward who can defend the 3 or the 4 without Hayward and James. Fortunately for them, Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated said Indiana Pacers star Paul George “accepted an invite” to join the roster.

The United States is looking to defend its gold medal it won in the 2012 Olympics in London by beating Spain in the title game.