The Utah Jazz are willing to engage in talks on a Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade deal with the Boston Celtics, league sources told the Tribune on Wednesday evening, on one condition: Hayward, who committed to signing with the Celtics on Tuesday, would have to agree and get the ball rolling.
The Celtics must clear salary cap room before it can sign Hayward, and according to ESPN, the Celtics are shopping Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder. Any one of those three would help the Jazz start trying to fill the void created by Hayward’s departure.
I don’t understand why the report emphasizes that Hayward must get the ball rolling. I think it’s the simple matter of GH saying he’s open to the scenario – and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be – and the teams start negotiating.
It’s likely Hayward is still going to want that 4 year, $128 million deal with a player option on the final year even though he could get 5 years, $173 million from Utah. Scratch that. Hayward is limited to the 4 year, $128 million in a sign-and-trade scenario.
Tony Jones, the SLT reporter who broke this story, speculates the Jazz would be most interested in Avery Bradley.
The Celtics will demand some sort of draft pick compensation or player to complete the deal. Bradley, Smart and Crowder are too good to just dump.
UPDATE:
Target for Utah in scenario is Jae Crowder. With everything Hayward and Bartelstein have done, making this happens is the least they can do.
— Spence Checketts (@spencechecketts) July 6, 2017
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