NBA Rumors: Celtics, Gordon Hayward Move Deadline For Contract Decision

Speculation over whether Gordon Hayward wants to leave Boston has intensified.

The deadline for the Celtics forward to decide whether to opt in to his $34.2 million player option was 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

But Hayward and the Celtics extended the deadline to 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

This is rather unusual. If Hayward wanted to re-sign he likely would have by now. Instead, this move suggests a few scenarios are in play.

Perhaps Hayward wants to opt out but needs to first get a better feel for his free agent market, or he’s planning to opt out and is working on a destination with the Celtics for a sign-and-trade. He also could work with the team on a trade destination after first first opting in.

Unlikely, but still plausible, is that Hayward wants to remain with Boston but wants to restructure his deal, thus causing a delay to renegotiate new terms. Unless he’s willing to sign a more team-friendly deal ahead of the draft, it’s farfetched that Boston would be willing or able to give him more favorable terms than the one already on the table, given the team’s salary cap situation.

Apparently, Celtics fans will have to keep waiting to find out.