It sounds like Gordon Hayward’s time with the Utah Jazz could be limited.
HoopsCritic.com’s Brian Geltzeiler reported Wednesday morning that the Jazz forward is unhappy in Utah and wants to be traded. According to Geltzeiler, the Jazz are “actively” trying to move him.
If the Jazz do trade Hayward, the Boston Celtics certainly seem to make sense as a potential trade partner. Boston owns eight picks in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, including the No. 3 overall pick. Not only that, Hayward has an obvious connection to Boston. He played for Celtics coach Brad Stevens at Butler before being drafted by the Jazz in 2010.
ESPN.com reported late Tuesday night that the Celtics are trying hard to trade the third pick, and Hayward was one of the players they were interested in acquiring. However, the ESPN.com report indicated that the Celtics — and a handful of other teams — were told Utah wasn’t looking to move the player. So, we’re either dealing with conflicting reports or the situation recently changed.
Hayward was the No. 9 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and has established himself as a very solid pro player, especially on the offensive end. The 26-year-old averaged a career-high 19.7 points per game in 2015-16 with a .433 shooting percentage.
One potential drawback for the Celtics or any team interested in trading for Hayward is his contract. He’s signed through 2018, but he does have the ability to opt out of his contract following the 2016-17 season.
UPDATE (10:30 a.m. ET):Â It appears Hayward might not be going anywhere after all, as Jody Genesy of Salt Lake City’s Deseret News refuted Geltzeiler’s report in a series of tweets Wednesday morning.
Thumbnail photo via Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports Images
