The Boston Celtics are a great team even though they fell short this year in the playoffs. They recently made headlines when they traded away their No. 1 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. While they are good, they are not quite there yet in terms of competing with elite teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They are very close though, a few right pieces away from garnering a championship. The Celtics need another great shooter and one that is available on the market currently is Gordon Hayward. They could certainly upgrade their team by signing Hayward to help them reach another level.
Hayward has a lot of options open for him, but can the Celtics get him? The team should look to signing him.
Should the Celtics sign Gordon Hayward?
The Boston Celtics should sign Hayward because, with the acquisition, it would make their club a lot better as a whole. It would also boost a great lineup with Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart. The team has a lot of great surrounding players with impressive defensive talent.
If the Celtics were to sign him, they might be able to compete with LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The Celtics could still lose, but it could help make it a close series. They could be a better team if they obtained Gordon Hayward and challenge for the Eastern Conference Championship in the NBA Playoffs.
Reunite with coach
Gordon Hayward has one big reason to go to the Boston Celtics. He could reunite with his college coach Brad Stevens from Butler. Stevens is a terrific coach and Hayward could thrive in the system. The two seem to have good chemistry together and going to Boston would be like a homecoming for the two.
Will he want to leave the Utah Jazz?
It can also be argued that Gordon Hayward could just choose to stay with the Utah Jazz and get a max contract or extension. The Jazz made it to the playoffs in a challenging series with the injured and unhealthy Clippers. But then Utah was eliminated by the Warriors.
He has really grown as a member of the Jazz.
The 6'8, 226-pound forward averaged 21.9 points-per-game, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. In the postseason he was phenomenal, averaging 24.1 points, 6 rebounds, along with 3.3 assists per game.
The Jazz have a lot of good players, including center Rudy Gobbert, who has grown. George Hill had a breakout season, one of his best years on the offensive end for the team since leaving the Pacers. They also have veteran Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, and Rodney Hood. The Jazz have a great team around Hayward, so it can be argued that he will just stay, especially if they offer him more money.
However, Hayward would be smart to go play with an Eastern Conference team because the East is seen as weaker than the West.
Staying in the West he would have to go through the dominant Warriors and Spurs.
Would Paul George sign if Hayward goes?
The Paul George sweepstakes have been going on for quite some time now. The star has announced he wants to go to the Los Angeles Lakers next season and leave the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers have been trying to acquire the star with almost no luck.
It is likely that PG13 stays with the Pacers this upcoming season and then goes to the Lakers. Although, if the Celtics were able to sign Gordon Hayward, it could persuade George to sign with them as well. It would still be difficult to do because it would depend on how much money Hayward would receive. The team might not have enough money to sign both of them.
The Miami Heat are also in the mix
The Miami Heat are also in the mix to sign the versatile forward. The resilient team has plenty of cap space since agreeing to the Chris Bosh settlement. The Heat would be a great fit for the shooter and it is always pleasant to play in South Beach. They also have a great coach in Eric Spoelstra.
The forward would be able to compete well with The Heat, who just missed the playoffs last season. They played badly in the beginning of the season, but jumped back in the second half of the season. Gordon Hayward would be playing with valuable players in Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, and most likely Dion Waiters who will look to resign.
