NBA rumors are heating up, as several top free agents will be coveted by multiple NBA contenders this offseason. Among them are Paul George, Blake Griffin, and Gordon Hayward. The latter of these players is being discussed as a possible new acquisition for the Boston Celtics, a team looking to upgrade their roster in order to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, new reports are suggesting that the Miami Heat have now entered the mix, along with Hayward's current team, the Utah Jazz.
Boston vs. Miami?
The Boston Celtics rumors kicked into full gear based on a social media photo posted by Hayward's wife.
In the image, Hayward's wife is shown carrying their daughter -- who just so happens to be wearing a green Celtics shirt. There's also the fact that Hayward's former college coach at Butler, Brad Stevenson, is the current head coach of the Boston Celtics. That has fans thinking it means a Hayward move to Boston is about to be officially announced.
ESPN's Marc Stein reported on Thursday that Pat Riley's Miami Heat are also trying to woo Hayward to their roster. Miami barely missed the NBA Playoffs this past season, due to a tiebreaker they lost with the Chicago Bulls. That put Chicago into the No. 8 spot, rather than a Miami team that went on a surge to end their season.
Now they could be looking to add some more firepower in the form of All-Star Gordon Hayward.
The luster of playing for this franchise is that they have won titles before, and of course, it's South Beach. LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, Shaq, and others have all made their home in the warmer weather area. In order for Miami to sign someone like Hayward, they may have to decide not to sign James Jones, Dion Waiters, or both.
Staying with Utah?
Gordon Hayward could ultimately stay with his current team, the Utah Jazz. The Jazz advanced past the first round of the NBA Playoffs thanks to him and other members of the roster as they defeated the L.A. Clippers in seven games. Keeping the roster intact could go a long way toward continued success in the postseason.
There's also the money factor. It's mentioned that the most the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics can offer Hayward is about $133 million over four years. The Jazz can offer much more, to the tune of $180 million over five years, which will be near impossible for the others to match.
This past season, Hayward earned a spot on the Western Conference All-Star reserves with his averages of 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. The team finished at 51-31 and earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, where they topped the Clippers in the first round before being swept by the Golden State Warriors.