Well you know the regular season is finally around the corner when you start to hear the free agency chatter for the upcoming off-season. We haven’t even gotten to game 1 of the 2016-17 season and the rumor mill is churning around one of the better young wing players (in a league devoid of them) on the market in Gordon Hayward.
No surprise here, a Celtics team in need of more talent on the wing and featuring Hayward’s college coach in Brad Stevens have Hayward firmly implanted on their radar, according to intrepid ESPN Reporter Zach Lowe.
Boston Celtics reportedly have real interest in Gordon Hayward: https://t.co/T96SRMBPLa
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) October 12, 2016
Hayward is 25 and one of the most diversely skilled wing players in the NBA. He is a developing pick-and-roll ball handler and play-maker who has shot 36 percent from three-point range for his career and averages six free throws a game as an under the radar slasher to compliment his shooting ability.
He should still be the go-to guy and catalyst for a Utah team that many anticipate will take a huge leap in the western conference this season. Many think he will be in line for a massive extension in the mold of the deals that Bradley Beal, Harrison Barnes and Chandler Parsons signed this off-season. Many would argue (myself included) that his is the most valuable and skilled player of the group.
He would be a perfect fit for Boston and would thrive under Steven’s tutelage again. In all honesty though it is ridiculously early to even consider this or any other free agency moves for 2017 because so much can and will happen to change things before next summer.
This will be the first of a never-ending stream of rumors that will dominate the NBA news cycle this season, rejoice folks the NBA has truly returned.
