Report: Hayward considering Heat, other teams in free agency
Gordon Hayward may have had a change of heart.
The Utah Jazz small forward is expected to decline the $16.7-million player option on his deal for 2017-18 to hit unrestricted free agency, where multiple teams will vie for his services.
While the Jazz have been and continue to be the rumored favorite in the Hayward sweepstakes, Boston has also been linked to the 27-year-old, who played under Celtics coach Brad Stevens at Butler.
Those were the two options Hayward's been considering ... until recently.
According to a source connected to the swingman who talked to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, the Miami Heat are now on Hayward's radar, in addition to other unnamed clubs.
It was reported a few days ago that Miami's interest in Hayward has Utah shaking in its boots. The Jazz have stated time and again that re-signing their best player is their No. 1 priority this summer.
But since the first-time All-Star missed out on an All-NBA selection, he doesn't qualify for the Designated Veteran Player Extension, which would've allowed Utah to pay him significantly more than its competitors.
And yet, the Jazz, who drafted Hayward in 2010, can still offer him more money and one more year than other teams on the open market. They also have the benefit of familiarity and continuity of a club that reached the West semifinals this season.
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Meanwhile, the Heat have a well respected team president in Pat Riley who could convince Hayward to meet with him and other members of the organization. With Chris Bosh's contract coming off the books, Miami has roughly $37 million in cap space to work with this offseason. Should Hayward leave Salt Lake City, he'll be looking at a max deal that starts at about $31 million in 2017-18.
The seventh-year forward is coming off a career year in which he averaged 21.9 points on a true shooting percentage of 59.5 to go along with 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal over 73 games.