Hornets' Gordon Hayward Ruled Out vs. Mavericks with Hip Injury

Charlotte Hornets small forward Gordon Hayward suffered a left hip strain in the third quarter of Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks and has been ruled out, per an official team statement.

Hayward played 27 minutes before leaving, finishing with 16 points and four rebounds. Devonte' Graham checked in for Hayward with 4:18 left in the third quarter.

The 30-year-old came to Charlotte on a four-year, $120 million deal after he opted out of his contract with the Boston Celtics, where injuries plagued much of his three-year tenure.

After a gruesome tibia fracture ended his 2017-18 season in his Boston debut, he returned to average 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.9 minutes across 72 appearances (18 starts) the following season. He was back into a starting role last year, but he missed time with a hand fracture in the fall and suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain during the postseason.

His tenure in Charlotte got off to a similar start when he suffered a finger fracture during the preseason, though he was able to recover quickly enough to start the season with the Hornets. He posted 28 points, seven assists and four rebounds in his debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Hayward, who played seven seasons with the Utah Jazz before joining the Celtics as a free agent, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists with the Celtics last season. 

With Hayward out, the team will give more minutes to Miles Bridges, who entered Wednesday averaging 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.