This year’s NBA free agency has the potential to get a bit more interesting. According to multiple reports, Boston Celtics‘ forward Gordon Hayward is thinking about rejecting his player-option for the 2020/21 season and entering the open market.

Hayward has struggled with injuries in recent years, so many people believed that he would jump on the opportunity to earn a $34.1 million salary next season with the Celtics. But the 30-year-old player obviously believes his past success might still net him a satisfying long-term deal.

During a recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo dropped a surprising bit on Hayward, saying that the former All-Star “does want out” of his deal with Boston. According to Russillo, this scenario becomes even more likely if the player gets guarantees about a rich contract somewhere else.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe previously hinted at a similar scenario, saying that he “doesn’t think it’s a lock that Gordon Hayward is on the Celtics next year” during his recent podcast.

Gordon Hayward would certainly draw sizeable interests from around the NBA if he opts out, considering that this year’s free-agent class lacks in big names. However, it is unclear how much money the teams would be willing to spend on a player that played just 125 games in the past three seasons. Hayward also hasn’t been productive in a while, averaging just 13.9 points per game in Celtics’ jersey.

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Gordon Hayward could be heading home soon. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, there is interest within the Indiana Pacers organization to trade for the Boston Celtics’ forward this offseason.

Pacers’ interest in Hayward isn’t new, as a similar report surfaced back in June.

Hayward, who’s 30 years old, was born and raised in Indianapolis while also playing both high school and college basketball there. Having this in mind, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine him also being open to suiting up for Pacers.

Finally, it also might not be too hard to convince the Celtics to part with the player. Hayward struggled to make an impact in Boston after signing a four-year, $128 million contract with the franchise in 2017 and the change of scenery seems welcomed for both parties.

Hayward played 125 games for the Celtics in the past three seasons, averaging 13.9 points per game during that period.

The Indiana Pacers could put together several interesting packages if they decide to go for Gordon Hayward. The most appealing to Celtics would most definitely include talented Myles Turner, but in that case, Pacers would likely require additional assets to sweeten the deal.

The Celtics are also believed to have an interest in Victor Oladipo, who is a player that Pacers might be more willing to part with. Oladipo is set to become a free agent next summer, and Indiana might consider moving him after two sides failed to make progress in extension talks.

The post Pacers Have Interest in trading for Gordon Hayward appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics signing Gordon Hayward to a max deal back in the summer of 2017 didn’t work out the way they thought it will. Hayward was sidelined for the entire 2017/18 NBA season due to a gruesome leg injury and struggled to find his form in the previous season. However, this still didn’t convince Celtics’ to move on from the 29-year-old forward.

According to Keith Smith of SB Nation, Celtics had the opportunity to trade Hayward this summer but the offer was “shut down quickly.” Smith reports that one NBA executive told him his team tried to contract Boston to see Hayward’s availability but got a negative response.

“We made a call, but it got shut down quickly,” – the executive told Smith. “I think Danny [Ainge] and Brad [Stevens] know what they have in Hayward for this year and going forward. He’s going to be really good again.”

Following Kyrie Irving’s departure this summer, Boston Celtics managed to bounce back quickly by signing Kemba Walker to a max contract. Walker, alongside Celtics’ young and deep roster, is expected to keep the team in contention for years to come and help them avoid rebuilding. This is why Boston is betting that Gordon Hayward might return to his All-Star form and propel them to the top of stacked East.

Hayward played in 72 games with the Celtics last season, averaging 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

The post Celtics Rejected a Trade Offer for Gordon Hayward This Summer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It is almost scary to think how strong the Boston Celtics will be in 2018-19. Celtics managed to win the top seed and get to the Eastern Conference finals last season without a max-type player in Gordon Hayward. Hayward went down with an ankle injury in a season opener last year and hasn’t played since. But now, the 28-year-old seems like he is ready to get back to his 20+ points a game version.

Although it was a long journey, Gordon Hayward put on his Celtics’ No.20 jersey and told reporters that he is fully fit once again. Another encouraging news is that he played 5-on-5 with his teammates in preparation for the upcoming training camp.

“I would say I’m basically 100 percent,” – said Hayward. “There are certain things that I think are going to take time — even if I was 100 percent healthy, I’m not 100 percent as far as basketball-wise, just because I haven’t played in a year. I’m trying to figure those things out. The last step for me as far as from a physical standpoint is a little explosion, that little last juice bounce that you get. So that’s going to take me the longest time. But like I said, for the most part, I feel very good.”

When asked about the timeline on his return to competitive basketball, Hayward said that he is ready to go now. He expects to take part in Celtics’ preseason games and to play without restrictions in the season opener.

Gordon Hayward spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz, where he developed from a back-up and a role player into an All-Star. After his contract with the Jazz expired following the 2016-17 season, Hayward decided to come to Boston and sign a four-year, $128 million contract. In his last full NBA season, Hayward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Gordon Hayward putting on the No. 20 jersey again … pic.twitter.com/XBHbIo43Lz

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) September 13, 2018

The post Celtics’ Gordon Hayward Ready for a Comeback: “I’m Basically 100 Percent” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

This year’s NBA free agency has the potential to get a bit more interesting. According to multiple reports, Boston Celtics‘ forward Gordon Hayward is thinking about rejecting his player-option for the 2020/21 season and entering the open market.

Hayward has struggled with injuries in recent years, so many people believed that he would jump on the opportunity to earn a $34.1 million salary next season with the Celtics. But the 30-year-old player obviously believes his past success might still net him a satisfying long-term deal.

During a recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo dropped a surprising bit on Hayward, saying that the former All-Star “does want out” of his deal with Boston. According to Russillo, this scenario becomes even more likely if the player gets guarantees about a rich contract somewhere else.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe previously hinted at a similar scenario, saying that he “doesn’t think it’s a lock that Gordon Hayward is on the Celtics next year” during his recent podcast.

Gordon Hayward would certainly draw sizeable interests from around the NBA if he opts out, considering that this year’s free-agent class lacks in big names. However, it is unclear how much money the teams would be willing to spend on a player that played just 125 games in the past three seasons. Hayward also hasn’t been productive in a while, averaging just 13.9 points per game in Celtics’ jersey.

The post Gordon Hayward Might Opt-Out of His Contract with Celtics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Gordon Hayward could be heading home soon. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, there is interest within the Indiana Pacers organization to trade for the Boston Celtics’ forward this offseason.

Pacers’ interest in Hayward isn’t new, as a similar report surfaced back in June.

Hayward, who’s 30 years old, was born and raised in Indianapolis while also playing both high school and college basketball there. Having this in mind, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine him also being open to suiting up for Pacers.

Finally, it also might not be too hard to convince the Celtics to part with the player. Hayward struggled to make an impact in Boston after signing a four-year, $128 million contract with the franchise in 2017 and the change of scenery seems welcomed for both parties.

Hayward played 125 games for the Celtics in the past three seasons, averaging 13.9 points per game during that period.

The Indiana Pacers could put together several interesting packages if they decide to go for Gordon Hayward. The most appealing to Celtics would most definitely include talented Myles Turner, but in that case, Pacers would likely require additional assets to sweeten the deal.

The Celtics are also believed to have an interest in Victor Oladipo, who is a player that Pacers might be more willing to part with. Oladipo is set to become a free agent next summer, and Indiana might consider moving him after two sides failed to make progress in extension talks.

The post Pacers Have Interest in trading for Gordon Hayward appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Boston Celtics signing Gordon Hayward to a max deal back in the summer of 2017 didn’t work out the way they thought it will. Hayward was sidelined for the entire 2017/18 NBA season due to a gruesome leg injury and struggled to find his form in the previous season. However, this still didn’t convince Celtics’ to move on from the 29-year-old forward.

According to Keith Smith of SB Nation, Celtics had the opportunity to trade Hayward this summer but the offer was “shut down quickly.” Smith reports that one NBA executive told him his team tried to contract Boston to see Hayward’s availability but got a negative response.

“We made a call, but it got shut down quickly,” – the executive told Smith. “I think Danny [Ainge] and Brad [Stevens] know what they have in Hayward for this year and going forward. He’s going to be really good again.”

Following Kyrie Irving’s departure this summer, Boston Celtics managed to bounce back quickly by signing Kemba Walker to a max contract. Walker, alongside Celtics’ young and deep roster, is expected to keep the team in contention for years to come and help them avoid rebuilding. This is why Boston is betting that Gordon Hayward might return to his All-Star form and propel them to the top of stacked East.

Hayward played in 72 games with the Celtics last season, averaging 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

The post Celtics Rejected a Trade Offer for Gordon Hayward This Summer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It is almost scary to think how strong the Boston Celtics will be in 2018-19. Celtics managed to win the top seed and get to the Eastern Conference finals last season without a max-type player in Gordon Hayward. Hayward went down with an ankle injury in a season opener last year and hasn’t played since. But now, the 28-year-old seems like he is ready to get back to his 20+ points a game version.

Although it was a long journey, Gordon Hayward put on his Celtics’ No.20 jersey and told reporters that he is fully fit once again. Another encouraging news is that he played 5-on-5 with his teammates in preparation for the upcoming training camp.

“I would say I’m basically 100 percent,” – said Hayward. “There are certain things that I think are going to take time — even if I was 100 percent healthy, I’m not 100 percent as far as basketball-wise, just because I haven’t played in a year. I’m trying to figure those things out. The last step for me as far as from a physical standpoint is a little explosion, that little last juice bounce that you get. So that’s going to take me the longest time. But like I said, for the most part, I feel very good.”

When asked about the timeline on his return to competitive basketball, Hayward said that he is ready to go now. He expects to take part in Celtics’ preseason games and to play without restrictions in the season opener.

Gordon Hayward spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz, where he developed from a back-up and a role player into an All-Star. After his contract with the Jazz expired following the 2016-17 season, Hayward decided to come to Boston and sign a four-year, $128 million contract. In his last full NBA season, Hayward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Gordon Hayward putting on the No. 20 jersey again … pic.twitter.com/XBHbIo43Lz

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) September 13, 2018

The post Celtics’ Gordon Hayward Ready for a Comeback: “I’m Basically 100 Percent” appeared first on SportzBonanza.