Houston Rockets
I know, woah. This would be crazy. Houston is coming off a historic offensive season, that landed to an abrupt halt with a smack down at home to the Spurs. Despite the brutal ending, Houston is still a legit contender. With Tony Parker and Manu possibly retiring, Houston could be the second best team in the West.
This would be a huge style adjustment, as Hayward would be going from slow-paced Utah, to blistering pace in Houston. That being said Hayward and coach Mike D’Antoni are smart guys. They can make it work. Hayward can spot up off Harden pick and rolls.
More importantly Hayward gives the Rockets a secondary playmaker, a problem that was magnified in the playoffs. Houston was also just an average defensive team, and Hayward has long been an underrated defender.
Hayward can slide into the 3 spot, and move Trevor Ariza to the bench to give Houston more depth. The real problem is Houston’s lack of cap space. Houston needs to get creative in trades, and may have to let players like Nene go, to make this work.