Not everyone is buying the Hawk’s interest in Gordon Hayward

Could Boston Celtic veteran forward Gordon Hayward’s connection to the Atlanta Hawks be a high-stakes game of chicken?

While the wider Boston Celtics and NBA media spheres have taken the interest in veteran forward Gordon Hayward by the Atlanta Hawks at face value, there is a not-infinitesimal chance there’s more going on there than meets the eye.

While the Hawks do seem poised to return to the side of the NBA finishing the season with a winning record, even with a Hayward addition it seems questionable as to whether they’d be a lock to make the postseason in an increasingly-difficult East.

Is that really the scenario Hayward wants to close out — or nearly so — his professional career?

This is precisely the sort of question being asked by the Athletic’ Jared Weiss.

“According to a person familiar with Hayward’s thinking, the 30-year-old former All-Star wants to continue to be a core part of a winning team and would not want to go to Atlanta. Hayward delaying his $34 million player option deadline to Thursday at 5 p.m. ET indicates that he wants more options. This rumor that the Hawks are in play seems like posturing to create a perception of leverage, that Hayward would be happy to join Atlanta either on his current contract or in a new multi-year deal.”

While we have no way of knowing what the Butler product and his representation are actually up to, this is a high-stakes game of chicken indeed if what Weiss suspects may be happening actually is.

That Hayward and Boston seem to continue to have a very solid relationship should hopefully make this process go as smoothly as possible, whatever the actual plans are.

Fingers crossed the Celtics don’t get left in the lurch by another top player for the second season running.

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