Hayward has missed the Hornets' last 22 games after spraining his ankle in a Feb. 7 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Hayward sprained his ankle when current Raptor and former Duke Blue Devil Gary Trent Jr. accidentally rolled into Hayward's leg after attempting a layup.
Hayward had been a key contributor to the Hornets' early season success, but the team limped through February without him, finishing with a paltry 2-10 record during that stretch of games.
However, the Hornets have adapted to Hayward's absence and played much better basketball in March finishing the month with a strong 10-4 record.
Hayward's return to the lineup comes at a critical time for the Hornets who currently sit at 40-37 on the season in a three-way tie for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with only five games remaining in the regular season.
The Hornets are looking to secure either the seventh or eighth seed for the Play-In Tournament to put themselves in a prime position to make the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2016.
For the season, Hayward is averaging 16.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game and 3.6 assists per game.
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