By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The 6-foot-8 small forward has agreed to a four-year, $128 million deal, according to sources. The deal also includes a player option for the final year, according to ESPN. That would allow Hayward to return to free agency with 10 years of NBA service when he could pursue another big-money contract and command a starting salary at 35 percent of the salary cap.
He shared his decision in an article on The Players’ Tribune titled “Thank You, Utah.”
Coming off a 51-win season, Utah believed it was headed to something special with its All-Star forward. But Gordon Hayward’s departure is a serious setback.
The 27-year-old Hayward stressed in the 2,000-word article that his comfort and familiarity with his former college coach, Brad Stevens, was a deciding factor in his joining the Celtics. Stevens took over for the Celtics before the 2013-14 season and last season led Boston to 53 wins, the top seed in the Eastern Conference and a conference finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.