Gordon Hayward Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Fiserv Forum, Pacers, Avdija, Hayward

November 18th, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks team president Peter Feigin has indicated that the club will not allow any fans into its home arena Fiserv Forum for the start of the 2020/21 NBA season due to strict indoor gathering restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Jabari Young of CNBC. Once fans are allowed inside Fiserv, the arena will exclusively employ mobile ticketing and concessions ordering, per Feigin.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files details how the Pacers have approached the 2020 draft while dealing with coronavirus pandemic-dictated hurdles. The club has used Zoom for weekly “town halls” as well as interviewing over 100 draft prospects. Though the league permitted teams to travel to see up to 10 individual player workouts, the Pacers opted to stay all-virtual this season, Agness notes.
The Cavaliers have deep organizational ties with international lottery prospect Deni Avdija. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wonders whether this could ultimately lead to Cleveland using the No. 5 pick in today’s draft to select the 6’9″ wing.
Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets that there is “mutual interest” between Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, beloved for his college tenure at Butler, and the Pacers. The clearest path to adding the former All-Star would be a sign-and-trade, which would require Hayward opting out of his $34.2MM player option for the 2020/21 season.

Trade Rumors: Celtics, Hayward, Kings, Magic, Fournier, More

November 18th, 2020 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics continue to search for potential pathways to get into the top three of tonight’s NBA draft, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). An earlier report suggested the C’s haven’t had much luck gaining traction on a move into the mid-lottery using their current three first-round picks (Nos. 14, 26, and 30).

It’s unclear if a potential deal involving Gordon Hayward would provide a path for the Celtics to move up in the draft. Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that the team is “mostly in a holding pattern” with Hayward for the time being.

Following up on a Tuesday report which indicated that the Hawks are eyeing Hayward, Jared Weiss of The Athletic cites a person familiar with the forward’s thinking who says Hayward wants to be a core part of a winning team and may not be interested in a move to Atlanta. Weiss wonders if the report linking Hayward to the Hawks may have been leaked to increase the 30-year-old’s leverage as he weighs his player option decision.

Meanwhile, in his latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst theorized that the Cavaliers, who hold the No. 5 pick, could be a landing spot for Hayward. Cleveland has interest in Hayward, according to Windhorst, who speculated that the Cavs and Celtics could be open to a deal that involves Andre Drummond and a draft-pick swap. Of course, if Hayward is prioritizing playing for a contender, he may try to angle to avoid a move to Cleveland.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors, with the draft around the corner:

Also in Windhorst’s latest Hoop Collective podcast, he and colleague Zach Lowe identified the Kings and Magic as two teams that may be looking to get a little younger this offseason rather than being content with competing again for the No. 8 seed. Nemanja Bjelica was identified by Lowe as a possible trade candidate to watch in Sacramento, while Windhorst added that Orlando would likely be open to moving Evan Fournier.
Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) wouldn’t be surprised if the Mavericks renew their interest in shooting guard Danny Green, who is being sent to Oklahoma City in a deal for Dennis Schröder. Dallas attempted to sign Green in free agency a year ago, and the rebuilding Thunder are unlikely to be too attached to him.
Although the Nuggets had interest in acquiring Jrue Holiday, they were surprised by what it cost Milwaukee to land him and didn’t feel pressure to make as significant an offer as the Bucks did, as Mike Singer of The Denver Post explains.

Hawks, Gordon Hayward May Have Mutual Interest

November 17th, 2020 at 5:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hawks may try to add Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Sources tell Haynes that Hayward has generated “plenty of interest.”

Hayward currently has a decision to make on his $34.2MM player option for the 2020/21 season. Earlier today, it was reported that he and Boston mutually agreed to extend his deadline on making a decision on the final year of his contract to November 19.

Hayward could be added in a variety of ways, though it seems most likely that he would join a new club either in a sign-and-trade or an outright free agency signing. Sources told Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) earlier today that a Hayward trade would most likely be done through a sign-and-trade with the Celtics, as teams with interest in Hayward’s services would want the forward beyond the 2020/21 season. However, Atlanta is one of the few teams with the cap room necessary to sign Hayward outright.

With $44MM in their coffers, the Hawks currently have the most salary cap availability in the NBA. Haynes notes that the 6’7″ Hayward, 30, could fulfill the desire of GM Travis Schlenk and the Hawks front office to add a secondary playmaker to spell All-Star point guard Trae Young. Hayward could serve as a nice veteran front court fit alongside sharpshooting power forward John Collins.

As we have previously relayed, the Hawks might also be pursuing Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo, whose terrific postseason play helped Los Angeles secure the 2020 NBA title.

John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) notes that a Hayward sign-and-trade deal with the Hawks would benefit the Celtics in that it could carve out a significant trade exception, space into which Boston could build out its roster depth.

Celtics, Gordon Hayward Extend Option Decision Deadline

November 17th, 2020 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

2:57pm: The Celtics and Hayward have officially pushed back his option decision deadline to Thursday at 3:00 pm ET, according to Lowe and Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

2:50pm: The Celtics and forward Gordon Hayward are working to extend the deadline for him to decide whether or not he’ll exercise his $34.2MM player option for the 2020/21 season, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link).

Hayward’s contract calls for that decision to be finalized by 5:00 pm eastern time today. Lowe says the two sides plan to push it back to Thursday at 5:00 pm, which is when most other team and player option decisions are due.

Hayward, 30, had a solid bounce-back season in Boston in 2019/20, averaging 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .500/.383/.855 shooting in 52 games (33.5 MPG). He was slowed by a sprained ankle in the playoffs, but showed during the regular season that he can still be a very productive NBA starter.

While it seems unlikely that Hayward would be able to match his $34.2MM option salary in free agency, a new long-term deal that reduces his 2020/21 salary while significantly increasing his overall guarantee is a possibility. That’s the route Al Horford took a year ago, turning down a $30MM option to secure a four-year contract that guaranteed him $97MM.

There has been buzz lately that Hayward isn’t a lock to opt into the final year of his deal, and today’s news is the latest indication that his decision may not be as simple as picking up that option. As John Hollinger of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), it’s rare for a team and player to agree to push back a deadline like this unless something is up that involves both the team and the player.

Given that Hayward has already been the subject of some trade rumors this year, it’s fair to view him as a potential trade candidate this week. A new deal with Boston is also a possibility.

Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Knicks, Raptors, Draft

November 17th, 2020 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics will get some clarity on their offseason by 5:00 pm eastern time on Tuesday, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald, who says that’s the deadline for Gordon Hayward to either exercise or pass on his $34.1MM player option for 2020/21.

A pair of league sources tell Murphy that Hayward still hadn’t finalized a decision as of Monday night. One source predicted Hayward would opt in, but the other suggested there would be plenty of interest for the Celtics forward if he becomes a free agent. “All I know is that there’s a lot of people who want him,” that source said.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks reopened their Tarrytown practice facility on Monday, nearly a week after shutting it down due to three members of the organization testing positive for COVID-19, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Sources tell Berman that no players were among those who tested positive.
The Raptors‘ chances of re-signing Fred VanVleet increased as a result of the Suns’ acquisition of Chris Paul, according to Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. Phoenix was considered one of the few teams that could make a run at VanVleet in free agency — Toronto still may have to contend with New York and Detroit, among others, however.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, and Bobby Marks (Insider-only link) identify the Knicks, Celtics, Nets, and Sixers as four of the eight best candidates to make draft-night trades on Wednesday.

Celtics Interested In Jrue Holiday

November 12th, 2020 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are interested in Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

O’Connor, who previously reported that Boston was interested in packaging its three first-round picks (Nos. 14, 26, and 30) in order to move up in the draft – perhaps to No. 6 – hears from multiple league sources that Boston’s intent would be to flip that newly-acquired mid-lottery pick to New Orleans in a deal for Holiday.

As O’Connor observes, the Celtics wouldn’t be able to take on Holiday’s contract ($26.2MM in 2020/21) without sending out significant salary of their own. Kemba Walker ($34.4MM) and Gordon Hayward ($34.2MM) are the only two players that would really make sense as outgoing pieces.

Presumably, of those two veterans, Boston would be more inclined to move Hayward, who would be on an expiring contract if he picks up his player option. Walker is under contract through 2023. It’s possible a deal between the C’s and Pelicans would also include other players and/or picks.

Holiday, 30, is coming off a 2019/20 season in which he averaged 19.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.6 SPG with a shooting line of .455/.353/.709 in 61 games (34.7 MPG) for the Pelicans. Although he didn’t earn a spot on one of this season’s All-Defensive teams, he has done so twice in the past and is widely considered one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders. He holds a $27.1MM player option for 2021/22, giving him an opportunity to reach free agency next year.

New Orleans is said to be “openly discussing” the possibility of trading Holiday, with the Hawks and Nuggets among the many teams linked to him.

Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Sixers, Knicks, Nets

October 29th, 2020 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Given Gordon Hayward‘s close, long-standing relationship with Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, the veteran forward finds himself in a tricky situation this fall, writes Sean Deveney of Forbes. Hayward may be able to secure a lucrative, longer-term deal if he opts out of his contract with Boston, but in that scenario he’d reward the team’s trust and patience in him by walking away without allowing Stevens and the Celtics to get anything in return.

On the other hand, if Hayward opts into the final year of his contract, the Celtics could turn around and explore the trade market for him, perhaps ultimately sending him to a destination that he wouldn’t have chosen as a free agent. The Celtics and Hayward have “a more personal stake in this than just basketball and money,” according to Deveney, who suggests that history will complicate both sides’ decisions.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Within his story on the Sixers‘ hiring of Daryl Morey, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer says executives around the NBA would be shocked if the team breaks up the Joel Embiid/Ben Simmons duo during the coming offseason or the 2020/21 season. That lines up with what Elton Brand said publicly over the summer, and it sounds like Morey’s arrival won’t change that.
The Knicks, who recently worked out Kira Lewis Jr., are seriously considering the former Alabama guard, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, Berman says it’s not clear whether Lewis would receive serious consideration at No. 8 or if he’s only an option in the event of a trade down.
Alex Schiffer and John Hollinger of The Athletic team up to evaluate a few hypothetical trades involving the Nets, including separate proposals in which Brooklyn acquires John Collins, Buddy Hield, and Jrue Holiday, among others.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Hayward, Knicks, Vassell, Nets

October 27th, 2020 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

An accelerated timeline for the start of the 2020/21 NBA season would reduce the likelihood of the Raptors being able to return to their home arena in Toronto. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still significant restrictions on international travel from the U.S. to Canada and it seems unlikely that will change too drastically within the next two months.

With that in mind, Eric Koreen of The Athletic weighs the pros and cons of several possible temporary homes for the Raptors in 2020/21. While Louisville – briefly mentioned as a possibility last week – doesn’t appear to be a realistic option, Koreen believes there are several other alternatives that could work.

Buffalo, Newark, Kansas City, and Fort Myers are some of the cities that might make sense for the Raptors, according to Koreen, who adds that sharing a home arena with one of the NBA’s other Eastern Conference teams could also be a possibility — especially since those arenas likely won’t be hosting concerts or other major events anytime soon.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Although it seems likely that Gordon Hayward will opt into the final year of his $34MM contract with the Celtics, agent Mark Bartelstein figures to do his homework and quietly survey the landscape to determine whether there’s a scenario in which Hayward could secure a lucrative, longer-term deal in Boston or elsewhere, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Zach Lowe discussed that possibility on The Lowe Post podcast on Monday, likening Hayward’s situation to that of Al Horford a year ago, as John Karalis of MassLive.com relays.
A team tracking Devin Vassell told Ian Begley of SNY.tv that the Knicks are collecting “a ton” of information on the former Florida State wing. The Knicks are one of several teams in the top 10 of the draft with Vassell on their radar, says Begley.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post identifies former Arkansas sharpshooter Isaiah Joe as a draft sleeper who may be of interest to the Nets. Joe is the No. 48 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while Brooklyn holds the Nos. 19 and 55 picks.

Gordon Hayward Remains On Pacers’ Radar

October 22nd, 2020 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Some members of the Pacers‘ organization continue to have interest in making a trade for Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who cautions that it’s not clear whether Boston is open to moving Hayward or what the C’s would want in return for him.

This isn’t the first time this year that Hayward has been linked to Indiana. Approximately four months ago, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star said during a podcast appearance that the veteran forward – an Indianapolis native who played his college ball at Butler – was a potential target for the Pacers.

“The kind of player Hayward is, is the kind of player (the Pacers) would definitely be interested in,” Michael said at the time.

Although Hayward can technically become a free agent this offseason, he’s expected to pick up his $34MM+ player option instead. Turning down that option in favor of a longer-term extension that locks in more overall guaranteed money is a possibility, but a new deal likely wouldn’t pay Hayward anything close to $34MM in 2020/21.

If and when he opts in, Hayward will be eligible to be traded, so it’s possible the Pacers and Celtics could work out a deal at that point — Myles Turner is one player who might pique Boston’s interest, for example. However, no Pacer is earning more than $21MM in ’20/21, so multiple pieces would be required in any trade and it would probably be a challenge for the two teams to agree on a fair deal.

Additionally, Begley’s report doesn’t specify exactly which members of the Pacers’ front office are intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Hayward. President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has the final say on personnel moves, so he’d obviously have to be on board with the idea.

We shouldn’t close the door on the idea of a homecoming for Hayward, but his contract situation complicates matters, as does the fact that neither Boston nor Indiana has a ton of cap flexibility. We’ll have to wait to see if anything comes of the Pacers’ alleged interest in the coming weeks.

Gordon Hayward Plans To Stay With Celtics Throughout Playoffs

September 20th, 2020 at 9:50am CST by Arthur Hill

Gordon Hayward not only returned to the court to help the Celtics grab a much-needed win Saturday night, he announced that he will remain with the team for the remainder of its playoff run, writes Mark Medina of USA Today.

Hayward had been planning to be with his wife when she gives birth to their fourth child sometime this month. But he said that changed after his he left Orlando to visit her while he was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

“A little bit lucky that Robyn was already there in (Indianapolis), so I was able to be at home and get great treatment,” Hayward said. “But that wasn’t in the plan. Robyn could be having a baby at any point in time. It’s probably something I’ll be here. By the time I get back, I might miss the birth if she goes in and she rushes to the hospital. We discussed it and we prayed about it. I think it’s probably best if I stay here and help our team.”

The Celtics weren’t sure that Hayward would be available Saturday until he went through pre-game warm-ups. He told the training staff that his ankle felt good, and he was cleared to play.

Although coach Brad Stevens had planned to limit Hayward’s court time in his first game in a month, the forward wound up playing 31 minutes and contributing six points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. He provided an emotional lift to a team that had been reeling after blowing big leads in the first two games of the series and went through a locker room meltdown after Game 2.

“He did what he’s done all year. He didn’t shoot it quite as much, but he is a stabilizing force for our team,” Stevens said. “He just can make the right play and make a play for somebody else at the right time.”

Hayward suffered the injury, which was diagnosed as a Grade III ankle sprain, during Boston’s playoff opener against the Sixers. He left for Indiana soon afterward and returned on September 6. After four days of quarantine, Hayward spent most of his time in the gym and the pool working to get back into game shape.

“It definitely felt weird out there,” he told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It’s been four or five weeks … since I played basketball, so I think it was really fun to be back out there with the team, with the guys. I just tried to impact our team in winning ways — whatever I could do. The first five minutes, I was gassed. I’m extremely tired right now. My ankle’s pretty sore. But I’m just proud of the way we fought, and proud of us getting the win.”