Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal

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Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#1 » by RealGM Articles » Wed Jul 5, 2017 12:09 am

With Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant undramatically re-signing with the Warriors, Chris Paul orchestrating his opt-in and trade to the Rockets, and the Pacers preemptively trading Paul George to the Pacers, the 2017 free agency period will be remembered for Gordon Hayward’s three franchise tour and prolonged decision to leave the Utah Jazz for the Boston Celtics.


While a clear notch below the perennial All-Star elite, Hayward has become one of the game’s best all-around wings. Hayward ranked 29th in the NBA in Real Plus Minus, a good ranking but perhaps a little lower than expected due to his low usage for a player of his caliber. Hayward's easily a top-20 player in the NBA at the most coveted position in the game.


Hayward did post career highs in True Shooting Percentage, usage, rebound rate and points per game. Hayward is consistently a high 30 percent three-point shooter and also gets to the line at a really good rate. Hayward is a highly talented offensive player that can score in a variety of ways and gets buckets in the fourth quarter when the game slows down. 


Hayward has also developed into an above average defensive player, both in terms of scheme and in individual matchups. Hayward also has added strength to competently defend certain power forwards to give Utah more optionality to play small.


Utah had two Hayward lineups in the top-8 of the entire NBA in Net Rating and will join another set of excellent role players who can defend, pass and shoot the 3 with the Celtics.


Boston offered his college coach, a good supporting cast with another excellent individual scorer in Isaiah Thomas, and an infinite number of ways for the roster to get better. Thomas taking the majority of the fourth quarter shots and being a severe liability on defense may have given Hayward reservations, but that was the only obvious negative. This team would have been more dangerous in the short-term and especially the long-term if they would have kept Markelle Fultz and also traded for Paul George while signing Hayward with the expectation of letting Thomas leave in free agency next year.


A depth chart with Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Jae Crowder needs to some rebalancing, especially since Al Horford prefers to play power forward and the only center projected to be on their roster in 17-18 as of right now is Ante Zizic. A trade for DeAndre Jordan would make a lot of sense for Boston, who tried to get him in those 2013 Doc Rivers talks.


Grade for Celtics: A- 


Utah’s decision not to sign Hayward to an extension in 2013, followed by allowing him to sign a three-plus-one with Charlotte in 2014 as a restricted free agent put him back on the market two seasons earlier than he could have and now he’s gone. The Jazz were only about $1 million apart from Hayward during those talks and they now will lose millions in revenue and a ton of wins letting him go in the peak of his prime. 


Now they must reset one of the NBA’s most talented supporting casts with the best defensive center in the league in the Western Conference no less. 


Since the short-sighted handling of Hayward’s restricted free agency, the Jazz were a model franchise in terms of building around a player of his ability. Hayward liked Quin Snyder and the culture of the Jazz, who have an excellent track record in terms of player development and identifying players in the draft. They’ve also consistently done an excellent job maximizing their resources surrounding Hayward, whether it’s trading for George Hill and Boris Diaw and signing Joe Johnson last offseason, then trading for Ricky Rubio this year and trading up for a high upside guard in Donovan Mitchell.


The Jazz with Hayward would probably beat the Celtics with Hayward in a mythical Finals, but it’s infinitely easier for that Boston team to reach the actual Finals in the Eastern Conference, even when factoring in the immovable LeBron James.


Grade for Jazz: B 


Even before the apparently wavering on the final day, this felt like a legitimately difficult decision for Hayward with three attractive options you can make highly compelling arguments for and against, especially with how the Eastern Conference has become an even weaker conference this offseason.


The five-year contract versus four-year security was less important for Hayward given his age at 27. There is a reasonable expectation that Hayward will continue to command a five-year or four-year max when he becomes a free agent again, and can now do so again in 2020 with his three-plus-one deal when he can also sign a full 35 percent max.


Hayward could have even gambled on the short-term situation of the Jazz and his ability to qualify for the supermax by making an All-NBA team in 17-18 by signing a one-plus-one contract to re-sign in 2018. 


Grade for Gordon Hayward: B+

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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#2 » by arasu » Wed Jul 5, 2017 7:20 am

Grade for Celtics: A+++
The rich get richer in the asset warehouse called the Celtics.

Grade for Jazz: D
They have solid replacement options already on the roster, but unless there are further moves that will upgrade it, this will be a huge off season step down.

Grade for Gordon Hayward: A
He gets to play for a storied franchise that has already been knocking on the Finals door and a list of other pluses.
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#3 » by fraanciiscoo » Wed Jul 5, 2017 12:27 pm

I would like to know the guy that wrote this " Hayward has become one of the game’s best all-around wings. Hayward ranked 29th in the NBA in Real Plus Minus, a good ranking but perhaps a little lower than expected due to his low usage for a player of his caliber. Hayward's easily a top-20 player in the NBA at the most coveted position in the game."

And then grade the Celtics that got him A- and the Jazz that lost him B
:roll: :roll: :roll:
#Haters
#FireAinge
#BostonCantAttractFA
#AingeCantDraft

BTW bc i know you wont get it that last 3 # was irony
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#4 » by Donnyxc » Wed Jul 5, 2017 1:34 pm

fraanciiscoo wrote:I would like to know the guy that wrote this " Hayward has become one of the game’s best all-around wings. Hayward ranked 29th in the NBA in Real Plus Minus, a good ranking but perhaps a little lower than expected due to his low usage for a player of his caliber. Hayward's easily a top-20 player in the NBA at the most coveted position in the game."

And then grade the Celtics that got him A- and the Jazz that lost him B
:roll: :roll: :roll:
#Haters
#FireAinge
#BostonCantAttractFA
#AingeCantDraft

BTW bc i know you wont get it that last 3 # was irony


I'm with you man.

Ainge got the star FA in Hayward, didnt over pay for a rental of PG, his draft pick outplayed Fultz, and he also got another lotto pick for that Philly Draft pick.

Summer of Danny so far.
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#5 » by colaroaster » Wed Jul 5, 2017 1:56 pm

need to unload future picks, bradley, smart, or crowder for a rim protector i.e. tyson chandler, vooch, moose. brow :rock:
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#6 » by Lava Rock Kid » Wed Jul 5, 2017 2:27 pm

A B for the Jazz? Are you stupid or something? They lost their best player for nothing.

Maybe they got the B because the small market team successfully developed a player to an allstar so said player can rightfully join a super team.

Now the Jazz get to rebuild wooppeeee
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#7 » by Thatmetricsdude » Wed Jul 5, 2017 5:03 pm

colaroaster wrote:need to unload future picks, bradley, smart, or crowder for a rim protector i.e. tyson chandler, vooch, moose. brow :rock:


The Celtics need to unload about half of last season's roster to simply create the cap space to sign Hayward before they can even think of getting a rim protector.
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#8 » by Diggr14 » Wed Jul 5, 2017 6:14 pm

Another cupcake turncoat looking for coattails and an easier road.

NBA is turning into super teams in big markets or centered around Lebron (that changes next year when he heads to LA). Then it will be super teams in big markets only.

Silver needs to change the cap rules and other rules fast to even the playing field.

1. Luxury tax starting at 5x dollar for dollar immediately over cap limit (money collected goes to non-luxury tax teams for increased cap in the next season)
2. Eliminate the Stepien Rule
3. Eliminate MLE and other exceptions
4. Team which has had 5 years control over a player can offer up to 6 years @ 45% of cap. All other teams max 4 years 35%.
5. Arb system for 1st and 2nd round picks - 3 years of rookie scale money, 3 years of arbitration - UFA thereafter
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#9 » by Bryanth2o » Wed Jul 5, 2017 8:11 pm

Diggr14 wrote:Another cupcake turncoat looking for coattails and an easier road.

NBA is turning into super teams in big markets or centered around Lebron (that changes next year when he heads to LA). Then it will be super teams in big markets only.

Silver needs to change the cap rules and other rules fast to even the playing field.

1. Luxury tax starting at 5x dollar for dollar immediately over cap limit (money collected goes to non-luxury tax teams for increased cap in the next season)
2. Eliminate the Stepien Rule
3. Eliminate MLE and other exceptions
4. Team which has had 5 years control over a player can offer up to 6 years @ 45% of cap. All other teams max 4 years 35%.
5. Arb system for 1st and 2nd round picks - 3 years of rookie scale money, 3 years of arbitration - UFA thereafter



I think what the NBA needs to do is get rid of any exception or contract limit per player. Just have a cap for the team. Every team can spend 110 million. Something along those lines. How they spend it and who they spend it on, up to the team. If Miami offered KD 50 million a season does he go? For sure. the cap for each player is stupid. its easier to take "less" because its not that far from the max allowed.
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#10 » by Diggr14 » Wed Jul 5, 2017 8:22 pm

Bryanth2o wrote:
Diggr14 wrote:Another cupcake turncoat looking for coattails and an easier road.

NBA is turning into super teams in big markets or centered around Lebron (that changes next year when he heads to LA). Then it will be super teams in big markets only.

Silver needs to change the cap rules and other rules fast to even the playing field.

1. Luxury tax starting at 5x dollar for dollar immediately over cap limit (money collected goes to non-luxury tax teams for increased cap in the next season)
2. Eliminate the Stepien Rule
3. Eliminate MLE and other exceptions
4. Team which has had 5 years control over a player can offer up to 6 years @ 45% of cap. All other teams max 4 years 35%.
5. Arb system for 1st and 2nd round picks - 3 years of rookie scale money, 3 years of arbitration - UFA thereafter



I think what the NBA needs to do is get rid of any exception or contract limit per player. Just have a cap for the team. Every team can spend 110 million. Something along those lines. How they spend it and who they spend it on, up to the team. If Miami offered KD 50 million a season does he go? For sure. the cap for each player is stupid. its easier to take "less" because its not that far from the max allowed.


I agree, but I think you need to put a buffer in there such as the 45% for 6 versus 35% for 4 to offset the marketing dollars of the big markets and to give carrots to players to stay in their markets that they developed in. Especially for players that teams controlled for 5 years prior.
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#11 » by JohnVancouver » Thu Jul 6, 2017 1:28 am

"The Jazz with Hayward would probably beat the Celtics with Hayward in a mythical Finals"

Seriously? I'd take the Celts, at least 2 to 1
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Re: Grading The Deal: Gordon Hayward Finally Joins Celtics On Four-Year, $128M Deal 

Post#12 » by dan-man » Thu Jul 6, 2017 2:33 am

Damn It Hayward...

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