TUESDAY
8:17 p.m.: Hayward has announced he’s joining the Celtics.
7:41 p.m.: The Heat might have been eliminated from contention.
7:37 p.m.: This might take a while.
6:30 p.m.: Radio silence from Hayward.
4:51 p.m.: Well, Gordon Hayward was a member of the Boston Celtics for a few minutes Tuesday.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported Hayward picked the Celtics over the Utah Jazz and Miami Heat, but his colleague, Adrian Wojnarowski, tweeted shortly after that Hayward’s agent said his client hadn’t made a decision yet. Conflicting reports flooded Twitter, and a simple story turned into an absolute mess pretty quickly.
Reporters and analysts had some speculation as to what was going on, surmising that the leak might have come out before Hayward had a chance to speak to the Jazz or that the Celtics were working on a sign-and-trade deal with Utah. We gathered up everything we know so far to make it a little clearer for you.
Click to read about Gordon Hayward’s bizarre free agency saga >>
MONDAY
10:50 p.m.: A final decision will come July 4.
7:44 p.m.: Hayward’s meetings with the Heat, Celtics and Jazz are over. The next update could be a decision. Stay tuned.
5:43 p.m.: Here’s an update on the Jazz/Hayward meeting.
12:15 p.m.: If you’re holding off on the cookout to see where Hayward’s going to land, it’s probably safe to go out and fire up the grill. It looks like he’s going to (rightfully) take his time with the decision.
10:05 a.m.: Here’s a little insight as to what the Celtics sold Hayward on during their meeting Sunday.
8:45 a.m.: Monday figures to be a big day for Hayward and the teams interested in his services. He’ll meet with the Jazz in San Diego, according to reports, and the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett reported his decision could come as soon Monday.
“There are reports Hayward plans to make his decision known by (Tuesday) or Wednesday, but a source close to the player said he could let teams know his decision as early as (Monday night),” the Bulpett wrote Monday morning.
SUNDAY
10:05 p.m.: Here’s an update on Boston’s meeting with Hayward.
7:53 p.m.: An Instagram update from Hayward’s wife, Robyn:
6:53 p.m.: The Celtics’ pitch to Hayward is over.
4:52 p.m.: We could have a decision from Hayward by the middle of next week.
4:30 p.m.: Additional details on Hayward’s meeting with the Jazz on Monday have been reported.
11 a.m.: The Celtics are taking Hayward around Boston and apparently are catching a Red Sox game with the free agent.
Boston’s recruiting pitch features a video, which is being played on the Fenway Park video board.
SATURDAY, JULY 1
10:30 p.m.: Jazz center Rudy Gobert apparently has used Twitter to take shots at Hayward’s suitors.
Some have loosly translated Gobert’s tweet as “Miami is trash, Celtics are poop and Jazz are champions.”
Gobert exposed himself to ridicule, and Miami’s Hassan Whiteside and Boston’s Isaiah Thomas fired back.
10:01 p.m.: Utah re-signing Joe Ingles should help its case in retaining Hayward.
4:34 p.m.: Makes sense.
1:20 p.m.: Bad news for the Celtics.
12:58 a.m.: Gordon Hayward has his free agency tour set.
12:01 a.m.: Free agency has begun, and teams now can meet with players and agree to contracts. Deals cannot become official until July 8, though.
THURSDAY, JUNE 29
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward is one of the top NBA free agents on the market, and several teams are interested in his services.
Hayward has meetings lined up this weekend with the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, per ESPN’s Marc Stein, setting the stage for some potential fireworks on July 4.
The 27-year-old star has been linked with the Celtics on several occasions, with the obvious connection being Boston head coach Brad Stevens, who recruited Hayward to Butler University and coached him for four years.
But the C’s appear to have stiff competition for Hayward, who averaged a career-high 21.9 points per game last season.
Keep it right here for the latest rumors, news and info surrounding Hayward’s free agency (all times Eastern).
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
