On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team officially signed All-Star veteran forward Gordon Hayward away from the Utah Jazz in free agency after a kerfuffle on the fourth of the month over whether he had actually left the Jazz. The Butler product’s contract, a four-year, $128 million deal with a player option on its final year, started on a gruesome note that took several seasons to recover from.
A devastating injury to his ankle ended Hayward’s first season with Boston just a few minutes into the 2018-19 NBA season. The Indiana native worked diligently over the next two seasons to get back to his old self and abilities.