Gordon Hayward rumors may have hit a snag today (July 4). The Boston Celtics and Hayward appeared to have a contract in place earlier in the day, but conflicting reports are coming out across the NBA. A live broadcast on ESPN just threw some cold water on the whole situation. Quoting his agent, the two sides have not agreed to a deal, meaning Gordon Hayward's contract is not in place yet.
Utah Jazz team president Steven Starks believes the agent, as they continue to try to keep Gordon Hayward on the roster for the 2017-18 NBA season. In addition to the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat have also been trying to lure the top-tier free agent this offseason.
Miami had been hoping to put together a new "big three" and make it back to the NBA Playoffs next season. Getting Hayward could make that very possible.
Who is telling the truth about the Gordon Hayward contract?
There are a lot of conflicting stories about the contract, creating a lot of Gordon Hayward rumors on social media. Sources close to ESPN have been stating that Hayward is heading to the Boston Celtics, and that nothing will keep that from happening. With Hayward's agent telling a completely different story, then this is a situation where someone is lying. Who that might be may not be revealed until after the Fourth of July.
A lot of teams have wanted to land Gordon Hayward since free agency opened, with the Boston Celtics always leading that charge.
At one point, there was a strong indication that Celtics team president Danny Ainge was trying to land Paul George and Hayward this offseason. George ended up being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, possibly making Ainge more desperate to get a deal done with one of the free agents.
How much is Hayward going to make in free agency?
Though Gordon Hayward isn't one of the more recognizable stars in the NBA, he is still going to receive a max contract in free agency. He made the Western Conference All-Star team as a member of the Utah Jazz and that franchise would love to keep him under a new long-term contract.
The lure of free agency is difficult to pass up though, giving Hayward a shot at signing with a team in a bigger market and gaining that "star power" that comes with it.
It seems, on paper, like the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics would provide Hayward a much easier path to the NBA Playoffs, with the possibility that both teams could be a threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. As such, both teams have offered hefty contracts to try to lure him away from the Utah Jazz. Has he already decided on a team or is Hayward still pondering the thought? Fans will have to wait for these Gordon Hayward rumors to play out later in the week.
