Jazz are right choice for Gordon Hayward
Sometimes, the seemingly boring choice in life is the correct one. Thus is the situation for Gordon Hayward, an NBA All-Star about to cash in.
Hayward, 27, played out his rookie contract with the Utah Jazz and hit the free-agent market for the first time on July 1. Since then, he’s been busy, visiting the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat over the weekend before making his last stop with the Jazz. Utah has been busy while waiting on Hayward’s decision, replacing veteran point guard George Hill with a younger Ricky Rubio, sending a first-round draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On the surface, it would appear that Boston is the favorite. Brad Stevens is the head coach there, and the Celtics were the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this spring. Stevens, who coaches Hayward during his college days at Butler, is one of the top minds in the game. The Celtics have a slew of drat picks in the coming years (and high ones, considering how bad the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are), along with a talent base that includes Jayson Tatum, Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford.
Miami offers the beautiful weather, Pat Riley, Erik Spolstra and a decent roster of Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic. Still, there is little else for Hayward to see there. The Heat are a middling team in a conference that is both much easier but equally impossible to surmount from that spot. Miami isn’t going to take down the Cleveland Cavaliers any time soon.
Yet it is Utah that offers the best of all worlds. The Indianapolis native peaked last year with this young group, averaging 21.9 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Additionally, Utah offers a quality supporting cast. The Jazz have a team that includes center Rudy Gobert, power forward Derrick Favors, shooting guard Joe Johnson and the aforementioned Rubio. Utah might be in the much-tougher Western Conference, but the re-signing of Hayward has it in the conversation for a trip to the conference finals. When the Golden State Warriors are in your conference, that’s all you can ask for.
Jumping ship for the Celtics doesn’t solve the matter of winning a championship. Boston is a good team, but Thomas only has one year left on his deal and is trying to come back from a serious hip injury. The Cavaliers, even with Hayward in green and white, are the better team.
The Jazz would need to ad a few major pieces to beat the Warriors out, but the same can be said for every team in the league. Utah would be a mortal lock to win 50-55 games and reach the second round, and perhaps go further than that.
Hayward has options, but the right one is to stay put.
