Gordon Hayward suffered his career-altering foot injury nearly three full years ago, but it still appears to be giving him problems after all this time.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, the Boston Celtics swingman said that the troublesome left foot was still bothering him despite the long layoff.
“I wish that I had an answer to why it is a little sore,” said Hayward, per Tom Westerholm of MassLive.com. “I think a lot of it relates to just the injury that I had. I’ve been training pretty much this whole time. Not full go obviously, since I haven’t had a court the whole time, but I have been trying to stay fit.
“I’ve been resting but at the same time not resting,” the former All-Star added. “Kind of like a maintenance type thing. Everything is definitely a lot better, there is no doubt about that. For sure, I’m feeling great, it’s just the foot still is a little sore. It is what it is.”
Hayward, 30, was having his best year since the injury, averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. But he missed 19 of Boston’s 64 games and managed soreness in the foot (plus other worrisome issues) all season.
While Hayward does have a $34.2 million player option for next season that he is widely expected to pick up, the Celtics may have to monitor his workload in Orlando closely, especially with the heightened risk of injury for all players.
