A report surfaced roughly two months ago suggesting Gordon Hayward may seriously consider signing with the Miami Heat this summer in free agency, but Hayward has yet to give any indication of this being true, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The one team that is widely expected to gain traction in the Hayward race, and perhaps the team with the strongest chance to pry him away from Utah, Jackson reports, is the Boston Celtics.
According to a source close to him, Hayward has given no indication that Miami is on his radar, with Boston viewed as the most serious challenger to Utah. Remember, Hayward can get five years and $179.2 million if he stays in Utah, four years and $132.9 million with another team.
Hayward, 27, is coming off the best season of his professional career with the Jazz. Named to the All-Star team for the first time, he averaged a career-high 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 73 games.
Hayward is set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, where he’ll command a maximum-salary contract and likely register multiple interested suitors.
The Celtics are believed to have leverage over other contending teams, largely in part because of head coach Brad Stevens, who was Hayward’s college coach at Butler.
Miami will certainly make a run at him once free agency opens, along with pursuing the likes of Paul Millsap and Blake Griffin, but cap flexibility remains an issue — especially if they wish to re-sign Dion Waiters and James Johnson. A back-up option could be Kings free agent Rudy Gay, who still has interest in joining the Heat, according to a person close to the 30-year-old.
For the Jazz, the future of the team largely hinges on the decision Hayward makes in one month. As seen in years past, there tends to be a domino effect across the league whenever a major player makes a choice in free agency. As Hayward’s teammate George Hill admitted last month, whatever decision Hayward chooses to make will play a role in where Hill decides to sign.
Hayward will have other potential suitors — Indiana, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers may come calling — but the fact remains: His primary goal has always been winning an NBA title. He’ll choose the team he feels will put him in the best situation towards accomplishing that goal.
