Hornets didn’t plan to sign major free agents, then paid Gordon Hayward. What changed?

Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak never expected Gordon Hayward to opt out of his contract with the Boston Celtics.

And Kupchak sure didn’t picture that leading Hayward to Charlotte.

“Quite frankly, I never had a great feeling,” Kupchak said of recruiting Hayward, who agreed to a $120 million, four-year contract to be the Hornets’ top player.

Kupchak said repeatedly over the last year he didn’t plan for the Hornets to be big players in the 2020 free agent class. What happened? He went issue-by-issue in a half-hour media session Tuesday.

What changed?

“I did not think that we would be in a position to pursue a free agent of Gordon’s caliber,” Kupchak said, adding that had Hayward not opted out of the final $34 million season on his contract with the Celtics, the Hornets might have pursued Hayward in the summer of 2021.

“There were times when we didn’t think we had a shot at him,” Kupchak said. “We feel really excited that he chose Charlotte. He clearly had a bunch of other options.”

The Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks all expressed interest, per reports.

Kupchak said Hayward, a small forward, fills “a position where we feel there’s a great need.” The Hornets started Miles Bridges at that spot last season. Bridges might be a better fit as a small-ball power forward.

Why stretch Nic Batum’s contract?

In order to create enough salary-cap space for the deal, the Hornets committed to waiving Nic Batum’s final $27 million season, and using the NBA’s stretch provision. That means the Hornets will have dead cap hits of $9 million each of the next three seasons.

“The only way to get to the number (Hayward’s $28.5 million salary this season) was to waive-and-stretch Nic. We had to be committed to do that to make the deal,” Kupchak said. “We did make that decision early on (at the outset of free agency two weekends ago), and the last week was spent looking into making trades to try to mitigate the effects of stretching and waiving Nic.”

Kupchak indicated any trade that would have off-loaded Batum’s contract would have required Charlotte to give up multiple future draft picks and maybe take back a veteran contract.

Kupchak said the Hornets are $4 million under the $109 million salary cap for this season, and could be $27 million or more below next season’s projected $112 million cap.

Center Cody Zeller is the Hornets’ third-highest paid player this year at $15.4 million, but his contract will expire at the end of the season.

Gordon Hayward’s injury history

Hayward suffered a gruesome leg injury one game into his Celtics career in 2017 — a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia. Separately, Hayward missed about a month of the NBA’s restart last season with a sprained ankle.

How worrisome is that, when guaranteeing a $30 million average salary over the next four years?

“He passed our physical with flying colors,” Kupchak said.

“He’s a good age for an NBA player and keeps himself in great shape ... There’s no reason to believe, knock on wood, that he won’t be healthy here the next four years.”

The Michael Jordan Effect

How much input did Hornets owner Michael Jordan have on pursuing and acquiring Hayward?

“With a (decision) like the Gordon Hayward acquisition, very involved. Obviously, it’s a substantial investment,” Kupchak said.

Kupchak said Jordan spoke to Hayward “several times” in the recruitment process. Hayward said Jordan and he discussed the maximum offer sheet the Hornets conveyed to Hayward (which the Utah Jazz matched in 2014) to illustrate how much Jordan thinks of Hayward’s ability.

Is Gordon Hayward an NBA star?

Hayward has the 35th-highest salary in the NBA this season. Can he justify this massive contract with his play going forward?

“I still think he can make an All-Star team,” Kupchak said. (Hayward was an All-Star with the Jazz in the winter of 2017.)

“I think the best years for an NBA player — when their mind catches up to their body — is between the ages of 28 and 32. I think he still has at least two and maybe three really solid years when he can play at a high level.”

How confident are the Hornets?

Why was Kupchak so doubtful Hayward would agree to join the Hornets?

“Maybe it’s my nature to be a little big guarded (in optimism) in situations like this. I knew there were a lot of suitors involved,” Kupchak said.

“I woke up and didn’t feel great about it” on Nov. 21, the day Hayward agreed to terms, Kupchak recalled. “And then, by the end of the day, we did have a deal.”