Celtics forward Gordon Hayward thinks he’ll be ready to play to start next season

The Boston Celtics have assembled a promising roster with a plethora of young and proven talent. The project has put forth a bright future ahead of the franchise.

Things appear to be heading in a more encouraging direction with All-Star forward Gordon Hayward stating that he believes he will be ready to go by the 2018-19 season opener, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.

“We go into next season with a lot of options, high expectations, and a lot of reason for optimism,” wrote Hayward. “I’ve talked with Kyrie, and I know he is progressing really well, and plans to start training hard pretty soon. We’ve both been itching to rejoin these guys after watching what they did in the postseason.”

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In the last few months, Hayward has continued to take steps forward in his recovery. He suffered a gruesome fractured tibia and dislocated ankle just six minutes into the season opener. The Celtics had hoped that the 28-year-old could be a major piece to the puzzle from the get-go. Last season, he inked a four-year, $128 million deal.

Read: Kyrie Irving Thinks LeBron James Was ‘Definitely’ NBA MVP This Year

He has remained on the upswing in his recovery with the expected increase in his rehab work. This should bode well to him being ready to go well ahead of next season. The addition of both Hayward and Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from knee surgery, could see the franchise become legitimate title contenders.

The Celtics will likely continue to take the precautionary approach with the situation. Although the progressive steps forward in Hayward’s recovery may see him back on the court to start next season.