NBA Rumors: Latest Gordon Hayward Update As Day 2 Of Free Agency Begins

There was plenty of activity on the first day of free agency, but many of the big names remain on the board.

Chief among them, arguably, is Gordon Hayward.

The star forward opted out of his deal with the Boston Celtics, becoming an unrestricted free agent. But all reports so far have indicated he'd like to land with his hometown Indiana Pacers, which would require a sign-and-trade with the Celtics in order to get done.

Indiana and Boston seem a ways off in the package for a Hayward trade, but as of late Friday night, getting such a deal done appeared to remain the preference.

The Knicks remain in the Hayward hunt with salary-cap space, league sources say, but have held firm on lower figures than Indiana's

Hayward has a huge admirer in Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, I'm told, have shown some willingness tonight to go beyond an initial two-year offer

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 21, 2020

Of course, Hayward leaving the Celtics and signing outright with a team like the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks would be borderline catastrophic for Boston, so it's not as though Danny Ainge is drowning in leverage.

Regardless, Saturday promises to be a busy day whether a resolution with the Hayward situation is reacher or not.