Gordon Hayward is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Utah Jazz to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he'll have plenty of suitors when he does. Utah's chances to re-sign him may hinge on if he makes an All-NBA team, which would allow them to offer him a more lucrative extension. As Hayward prepares to hit the open market, which teams would be the biggest threats to sign him away from Utah? Here are the top three:
3) Miami Heat
Miami nearly made the playoffs last season despite a disastrous start, showing the upside this young team has. They have plenty of cap space to pursue top-level free agents with Chris Bosh's contract coming off the books, and Hayward is one of the top guys they will pursue. Hayward will strongly consider them, too. However, since they aren't really a contender, they won't be at the top of Hayward's list.
2) Indiana Pacers
Indiana isn't really a contender either, but they have two things going for them. One, Paul George wants to play with Hayward, which would likely cause him to stay in town instead of leaving for the Lakers. Secondly, it would allow Hayward to return to his home state of Indiana and back to Indianapolis, where he played his college ball at Butler. A Hayward-George combination would be enough to turn the Pacers into one of the best teams in the East, too.
1) Boston Celtics
Boston is the slam dunk, No. 1 option for Hayward if he decides to leave Utah. They're already in the Eastern Conference Finals without him, and with the No. 1 pick on the way (and potentially the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, too), the future is incredibly bright for the Celtics. Plus, head coach Brad Stevens coached him at Butler, and they have maintained a very strong relationship.
It's no secret that Boston has searching for another star to pair with Isaiah Thomas, and they may be the favorite in the East in 2017-18 if they sign Hayward.
Follow our Utah Jazz news page for all the latest Jazz news!
Back to the Utah Jazz Newsfeed