Brendan Haywood joins the Cavaliers after missing the entire 2013-14 season with a stress fracture in his foot. He was traded along with the draft rights of Dwight Powell from the Charlotte Hornets to Cleveland for Scotty Hopson and cash. The 34-year-old center has played 12 seasons and helped the Mavericks beat the Heat for the 2011 championship (along with current teammate Shawn Marion). Haywood's career was in decline before his foot injury, but he may still be able to handle some backup minutes at the pivot. In 2012-13, he started 17 of his 61 games with the then-Bobcats. He played 19 minutes and averaged 3.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks. Haywood hit a career-low 43 percent from the field and 46 percent of his free throws. He did start 54 games for the Mavericks in 2011-12, but averaged just 21 minutes. Other than starter Anderson Varejao, no one on the Cavaliers roster has Haywood's bulk to defend the post. If Haywood can show that he is healthy, he can come off the bench to give Varejao some rest and get playing time when the Cavaliers meet opponents with plenty of size (for example, the Chicago Bulls).
Haywood provides the team with veteran support. Although he is a solid defensive player, his offensive numbers are discouraging, maybe even more discouraging than Biyombo's. Expect him to get minimal playing time as a role player unless Biyombo proves himself to be more of a risk than an asset.
Haywood is an 11-year veteran who has been with multiple teams. He has never truly lived up to his potential but has often been injured. He is a solid seven-foot center who has shown flashes of dominance. He should still have plenty of good minutes in him, and although he will not be an offensive focal point, he should shoot for a high percentage and be able to occasionally score in double-digits. His value will come primarily from his defense and rebounding.
Haywood entered last season as the expected starting center but Tyson Chandler took over and never relinquished the role. He averaged a career-low 4.4 points per game while shooting an abysmal 36 percent from the free-throw line. Nevertheless he’s back in the starting lineup and is expected to carry a heavy load. He’s shown flashes in Dallas and plays much more focused when part of the starting unit. He will be a good source for blocks and rebounds but beware his negative impact on free-throw percentage.
It appeared, in early July, as though the 2010-11 would be a good one for Haywood, after he agreed to a six-year, $55 million contract with the Mavs. Then, just a week later, the Mavs acquired Tyson Chandler as part of a multi-player deal with Charlotte. Indications are that Haywood will start, but he's not a per-minute superstar by any means, so if he's unable to get 30 minutes, he'll be someone to avoid unless you're in great need of blocks.
The 2008-09 season was a lost cause for Haywood after he suffered a wrist injury that kept him sidelined for the first five months of the season. After undergoing surgery and a lengthy rehab, Haywood was able to return in April and play in six games down the stretch. In this brief stint, Haywood posted averages of 11.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in five starts. While a small sample size, all numbers were career-highs. At 7-0, 268, Haywood has the size to be a dominant force in the paint, but limited shooting range and lack of a go-to move make him streaky. With Haywood’s game often being inconsistent due to a perceived lacked of mental focus and aggressiveness, there are also some questions about Haywood’s playing time entering the season. The Wizards have young talents Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee who can play both the four and five, while veteran Fabricio Oberto should see time off the bench. First-year coach Flip Saunders will have a tough time juggling all the talent, but Haywood is expected to remain in the starting lineup. The revamped Wizards should run a high-octane offense with their numerous offseason additions, but most of their moves involved perimeter players, allowing Haywood to continue being one of the top options when the team brings the ball into the paint.
Haywood was one of the surprise breakout players of last season, as he set new personal bests in points (10.6 ppg), rebounds (7.2 rpg), blocks (1.7 bpg) and free-throw percentage (73.5). Haywood has always had the ideal body for an NBA center at 7-0 and 268, but before last season there had been questions about whether he had an aggressive enough mentality to make an impact. With rival Etan Thomas sidelined for the year with a heart ailment, Haywood used his extra opportunities to show that he can in fact dominate the paint for stretches at a time. Thomas may return this season, and young Andray Blatche is also likely to take some center minutes for the Wizards, so it remains to be seen whether Haywood can repeat his big year and remain fantasy viable.
The other half of the Wizards' committee at center is Haywood, who has also been mentioned in potential trade discussions. Haywood has clashed with Etan Thomas and had issues with coach Eddie Jordan, so it's fair to ask - are his 6.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 1.14 bpg really worth the trouble? It doesn't help that his field-goal percentage (.558) topped his free-throw mark (.548) last season. If he played with the quiet fire of a Tim Duncan, the answer would be easy, but he still needs the occasional wake-up just to get going. With three years and $16 million remaining on his contract, it's not going to be easy to move him, so it looks like another season of marginal fantasy numbers in a time-share for Haywood. Position scarcity at center is the only reason you'll ever need to consider him.
We liked Haywood more last year because he had improved his production in successive years since his rookie season in 2001-02. But he regressed and sulked when head coach Eddie Jordan yanked him from the starting lineup. He’s polished his offensive game since that rookie year and can rebound and block shots, but needs to get the playing time to make that work for you.
Haywood enjoyed his best season as a professional in 2004-05, averaging 9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game. That’s about an average center in the NBA these days. The backcourt-heavy Wizards lack a lot of depth up front after trading Kwame Brown. Depending on where Antawn Jamison calls home, Haywood is one of the team’s few options in the low post. The departures of Brown and Larry Hughes to free agency means the team will need to replace 29 points and 23 field goal attempts per game. We certainly don’t expect Haywood to take up much of that slack, but he shot an impressive 56.0 percent last year and could be in line for an increase in offense.
As the Wizards’ leading starter (59 games) at center, Haywood offered little fantasy value with 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game during those starts. The team matched Milwaukee’s offer sheet for Etan Thomas, indicating Thomas may see more than the 15 starts he made last year. Whatever Haywood’s role next season, it’s not one for your fantasy team.
Haywood, who averaged 6.2 PPG and 5.0 rebounds in 2002-2003, goes into the season as the default #1 center, but is only worth consideration in the deepest of leagues due to his limited offensive upside. He shot 51% last season and is a good shot blocker, but that's about all he brings to the fantasy table.
