It appears there will be no Butler University reunion for Gordon Hayward and Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
Hayward has agreed to a four-year offer sheet worth a maximum of $63 million to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, a source told ESPN late Tuesday. Hayward is expected to sign on Thursday at 12:01 a.m., the source said.
The former Utah Jazz forward had been heavily pursued by a number of teams, including the Celtics, who were reportedly one of three teams expected to make “large offers” to Hayward, along with the Hornets and the Phoenix Suns.
The 24-year-old Hayward played for two seasons under Stevens at Butler from 2008-10, where the tandem led the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances and a trip to the 2010 championship game against Duke.
The Jazz have three days to match Charlotte’s offer sheet before they lose their top scorer to the Hornets.
Hayward has put up better numbers in each consecutive season since the Jazz drafted him ninth overall in the 2010 NBA draft and set career highs in 2013-14, averaging 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
