Boston Celtics: 5 best free agent signings in team history
By Drew Taylor
3. Gordon Hayward
Drafted ninth overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2010 NBA Draft, Gordon Hayward had a decent first few seasons in Salt Lake City. After signing a four-year, $63 million contract extension with the Jazz in 2014, however, Hayward took his game to the next level.
In the three seasons following his contract extension, Hayward averaged 20.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. In his final season with the Jazz, Hayward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, was selected to his first All-Star Game and led the Jazz to a 51-win regular season and a playoff series win over the LA Clippers.
Following his breakout season, Hayward opted out of his contract with the Jazz and became an unrestricted free agent. Just five days after notifying Utah of his decision, Hayward announced he would sign with the Celtics; 10 days after that, he officially signed a four-year, $128 million maximum contract.
Just minutes into the Celtics’ opening game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hayward jumped for an alley-oop and came down awkwardly, completely snapping his ankle. His debut year in the green and gold came to an abrupt and scary end just five minutes into the 2017-18 season.
Several surgeries later and countless months of rehab, Gordon Hayward did indeed suit up for the Celtics on opening night of the 2018-19 season, just 364 days after dislocating his ankle and fracturing his tibia. He scored 10 points, and it seemed as though he could be a solid contributor on an already loaded roster.
It was clear early on that Hayward was not himself. Even if he was 100 percent physically, he was most definitely not 100 percent mentally. He wouldn’t go up for alley-oops, he rarely drove hard to the hoop and he always came down lightly on his feet. He was playing timid, and it was obvious it would take at least the remainder of the season for him to gain his confidence back.
After a disappointing 2018-19 season for both Hayward and the organization, Kyrie Irving’s departure and the signing of Kemba Walker gave the Celtics a new hope coming into the 2019-20 season. And with another offseason of regaining his explosiveness and confidence, Hayward came into the season fully healthy and ready to play as well.
He’s looked like his old self all season long. As the third option on a team with other great players at his position, Hayward is still averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, and is a large part of the Celtics 43-21 record.
Though his tenure in Boston is not exactly what the organization or anybody else imagined it would be, and though he could very well leave Boston at the end of this year, Hayward has made great contributions to the Celtics in only two years of play and will be a vital part in the Celtics hopes to win an NBA title in a shortened 2020 season.