The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat have been the two teams discussed most as landing spots for All-Star small forward Gordon Hayward should he decide to leave Utah in free agency this summer. The Celtics offer a better team with a brighter future, plus have Hayward’s former college coach Brad Stevens at the helm. The Heat can offer a pretty solid young core as well, plus the life that comes with living in Miami. Boston has long been considered the favorite, but that may no longer be the case, per ESPN’s Marc Stein:
Free Agency Scuttle: Volume is rising on the whispers that the team worrying Utah in Gordon Hayward's free agency is Miami as much as Boston
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 9, 2017
Hayward’s biggest incentive to stay in Utah is monetary; he can sign a contract with the Jazz for nearly $180 million over five years; the maximum that he can get with another team is four years, $132.9 million. That’s still a whole lot of money, but around $3 million less annually.
Hayward had the best season of his career this year and was rewarded by making his first All-Star team. He played 34.5 minutes per game, 1.7 fewer than the prior season, yet averaged career-highs in points per game (21.9) and rebounds per game (5.4). He shot 47.1 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three-point range.
