Gordon Hayward's retirement leaves one member of 2010's weak draft class remaining

One-time All-Star forward Gordon Hayward announced his retirement on Thursday, leaving just one member of the 2010 NBA Draft class remaining in the league.

Basketball fans likely won't ever mistake the 2010 class for one of the more stacked 21st-century groups, such as 2003 (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade) and 2011 (Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler).

With nine All-Star honors, six All-NBA nods and four All-Defensive team appearances, Paul George is clearly the most accomplished member of the drafted players from 14 years ago. PG-13 was selected 10th out of Fresno State behind the likes of Wesley Johnson (fourth overall) and Ekpe Udoh (sixth overall) and just one spot after Hayward.

George, Hayward, DeMarcus Cousins (fifth overall) and John Wall (first overall) were all top-10 picks and the only four players from the class to make an All-Star team, despite 51 of the 60 selections in 2010 playing at least one game in the NBA. Wall was a five-time All-Star and made one All-NBA and All-Defensive team while Cousins was a four-time All-Star and two-time member of an All-NBA squad. Hayward made his lone All-Star team in 2016-17.

Each member of the trio had their career impacted by multiple serious injuries, however.

Hayward cashed in on his All-Star campaign by signing with the Boston Celtics in July 2017 but suffered a season-ending fractured tibia and dislocated ankle just five minutes into the 2017-18 season opener. Both Cousins and Wall missed the entire 2019-2020 season with ACL and Achilles injuries, respectively, never fully recapturing their form.

George hasn't escaped debilitating ailments either, as he went down with a compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg in a freak incident during an intra-squad scrimmage for the FIBA Basketball World Cup U.S. national team on Aug. 1, 2014. He didn't return to the Indiana Pacers until April and played in just six contests that season.

George bounced back better than ever though, playing in all 81 games during the 2015-16 season and starting a streak of four consecutive All-Star campaigns.

He's likely the only member of the class of 2010 to have a realistic shot of making the Basketball Hall of Fame and even though he just turned 34, still seems to have plenty left in the tank. George made his ninth All-Star team this past season, finishing the campaign averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists with a career-high .471/.413/.907 shooting line.

All that's left for him is to make an NBA Finals and while the Celtics will be the Eastern Conference favorite for the 2024-25 season, George has a good a shot as he's ever had at winning a title after teaming up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason.