Boston Celtics: 3 free agent options to replace Gordon Hayward

With rumors going around that Gordon Hayward wants to depart the Boston Celtics, we take a look at three free agents who could fill his spot with.

On Tuesday, we saw rumors surfacing concerning Gordon Hayward and how he apparently wants out of Boston. These initial ideas came from The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo whilst featuring on The Bill Simmons Podcast. Russillo stated that Hayward does want out, and will therefore opt out of his $34,187,085 player option for the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season that he has with the Boston Celtics. Now, these are just rumors at this point, not concrete by any means. But, there’s been talk surrounding Hayward for a while now, with ESPN reporting that the Celtics playmaker could very well opt-out and seek a long-term deal with another team.

Hayward’s importance must not be underestimated to this current Celtics group. He’s had more than a fair share of injuries since he joined the Celtics prior to the 2017-18 season, but every time he’s had a stretch of games without injury, he’s looked like the potential perennial All-Star caliber player that made the Celtics cough up all of that money in the first place. He’s a playmaker. He scores, creates shots for his teammates, rebounds, and can guard numerous bodies on the other end. Yes, he’s getting a lot of money for somebody who averaged 17.5 points per game last season, but he does a hell of a lot more than most scorers in the league do.

If you’re a Celtics fan, then you’ve got to be hoping that Hayward opts in, has another solid, injury-free year, and gets a smaller deal with the team next offseason. At the end of the day, the decision on Hayward’s future in Boston lies with the player and only the player. There’s no decision to be made by the Celtics right now, they just have to see what Hayward decides and then plan on what’s next from there.

For this current Celtics’ side’s sake, Hayward needs to remain a Celtic, but if he decides to leave then there are a number of routes that the team could take in order to bring someone in to try and replace him. Whether that’s through a trade, through the draft, or through free agency, there will be a number of ways – maybe not to replicate what he does, but to bring someone in to try. In this article, we’re going to take a look at three viable options that the Celtics could choose to replace Hayward through free agency this offseason.

Boston Celtics Option No. 3: Jerami Grant

Grant becomes a free agent following a solid season with the Denver Nuggets, which saw him and his team reach the western conference finals, as Grant saw significant time on the court throughout the playoffs, starting 16 of Denver’s 19 games. Grant is by no means a playmaker in the way Hayward is from the three-spot, but the traits that Hayward brought to the table are going to be extremely hard to replicate.

What Grant does bring is length at 6’9″, ability to play both forward spots, reliable 3-point shooting (38.9 percent in 2019-20), and that defensive ability that you’re going to be after when losing Hayward. Like Hayward, Grant is very versatile and can guard numerous positions to do that length he possesses and his raw athleticism. Grant does have a player-option with the Nuggets for the upcoming season, but it seems as though he is leaning towards becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The 26-year-old wing’s player option sits at just over $9 million. He’ll likely earn more, but it certainly wouldn’t give the Celtics’ payroll too much trouble. There’ll be a market for Grant after the season he had, and his contribution to his team down in Orlando’s bubble, so it could be a tricky signing to make, but Boston would surely be an intriguing option for Grant. He’s a guy who plays tough, a 3-and-D player who is more of a starter than a role player. The Celtics definitely are in need of shooting – Grant could provide this, as well as not losing too much defensive talent on the other side of the floor.