One of the biggest prizes on this offseason’s free-agent market revealed his next destination on Saturday as Gordon Hayward announced that he will sign a new deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Hayward, who spent the past three seasons playing for the Boston Celtics, has agreed to a four-year, $120 million max deal with Charlotte which will make him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
After bursting onto the scene as one of the game’s best young players during his seven years with the Utah Jazz, the small forward had ups and downs during his tenure with Boston, missing all but one game of his first season with the team after suffering a gruesome injury in his Celtics debut.
The Indiana native struggled to get his feet under him last season before rebounding in the 2019-20 campaign, averaging 17.5 points per game on 50% shooting along with 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Hayward joins a Charlotte team which will hope that he can be a consistent all-around presence as the Hornets look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
He is expected to move immediately into a primary role for his new team and look to build upon his successful 2019-20 season.
