Gordon Hayward could break the hearts of Boston Celtics fans
If Gordon Hayward opts out of his contract and enters free agency, the Boston Celtics will be a favorite to land the scoring star.
The Boston Celtics are a couple super stars away from major NBA title contention. As the roster stands, the 17-time world champions have the third highest odds of winning the title. But that is a distant third behind the juggernaut Golden State Warriors and a Cleveland Cavaliers team primed with stars.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and a ton of assets, the Celtics have an opportunity to obtain one of those stars via trade. The other way is through free agency and that’s where Gordon Hayward comes in.
If the Utah Jazz star opts out of his contract, the Celtics will be in major pursuit. Given the fact that Hayward played college basketball under Brad Stevens, him joining a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals would be a good fit.
Not so fast
In fact, it would be the perfect fit. Hayward can score and definitely would be comfortable playing under Stevens. However, he could decide to stay in Utah or join another team.
Either scenario would break the soul of green team fanatics locked in on the idea of Hayward.
That’s why when the Miami Heat surfaced as a potential landing spot, the possibility of another team swooping in became a reality. Especially when Pat Riley is involved.
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With that being said, heartbreak could be on the horizon. It wouldn’t be on the level of Kevin Durant choosing the Golden State Warriors over the Celtics, but it would damper the dreams of what fans would love this roster to look like.
Gordon Hayward would just be one piece, but he would be a very nice addition for a team very close to challenging the best.
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Social media buzz
Then of course, there is social media where fans linger on any and every hint of a player leaving a team or joining a team.
Over the weekend, the wife of Gordon Hayward posted a picture on Instagram that had the heart of Celtics fans all giddy. She immediately deleted the picture of their daughter wearing a “Go Green” T-shirt, but the buzz had already emerged.
Most likely it was incidental, but it was enough to cause excitement.
Add to that the fact that Isaiah Thomas started following the potential free agent on the same medium and now the craze if full ablaze.
Hopefully this time it is not just a pipe dream because that could be bad on the heart.
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