NBA Rumors: Gordon Hayward To Be Celtics’ Top Priority In Free Agency

The dream of reuniting Gordon Hayward with his college coach Brad Stevens with the Boston Celtics could become a reality this summer. Boston, who is currently battling the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, will make it their mission to lure the Utah Jazz star to Beantown in NBA free agency.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Hayward is the Celtics’ top priority in free agency which gets underway on July 1:

Boston is really focused on trying to get Gordon Hayward from Utah in free agency, so why trade assets to get Jimmy Butler when you think you might have a chance at Hayward in the summer where they have the cap space to sign him and you don’t have to trade anything. Boston could possibly know closer to the draft where they stand with Gordon Hayward.

Hayward took his game to another level during the 2016-17 NBA season. The former Butler star led the Jazz into the playoffs and into the second round. Unfortunately for Hayward and company, the Golden State Warriors were rested and waiting after the Jazz had battled the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games in the first round.

The Warriors ultimately swept the Jazz with ease in the second round and as a result left a lot of questions surrounding the future of their rising star. Hayward would be the perfect addition in Boston taking the load off All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas who doesn’t really have another star player to shoulder the load in Boston outside of an aging Al Horford.