Tag: Gordon Hayward

Three Boston Celtics among NBA’s top small forward career earners

You might be surprised to learn who holds the top spot.

Given the storied history of the Boston Celtics, it should not surprise that some of the highest-paid small forwards in NBA history have donned the green and white at some point in their careers in the league.

We were reminded of this fact at the Celtics Wire by a recent assessment of the highest-paid players who played the 3 as their primary position in the Association by HoopsHype’s Dionysis Aravantinos, with a total of three such players having been Boston players during their NBA careers. Perhaps even more interesting is the player who holds the top spot among Celtics alumni, not a player many might guess.

Let’s dive into the trio of Boston alumni who help make up this list.

On this day: Hayward, Wilcox sign; Mickey waived; Red stays

On this day, the Boston Celtics signed Gordon Hayward and Chris Wilcox, waived Jordan Mickey, and didn’t lose Red Auerbach to the New York Knicks.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team officially signed All-Star veteran forward Gordon Hayward away from the Utah Jazz in free agency after a kerfuffle on the fourth of the month over whether he had actually left the Jazz. The Butler product’s contract, a four-year, $128 million deal with a player option on its final year, started on a gruesome note that took several seasons to recover from.

A devastating injury to his ankle ended Hayward’s first season with Boston just a few minutes into the 2018-19 NBA season. The Indiana native worked diligently over the next two seasons to get back to his old self and abilities.

Unfortunately, by the time he had mostly recovered his game, it was on a team that needed him in less of a starring and more of a supporting role.

On this day: Gordon Hayward agrees to sign; Griffin, Lucas born; Gene Conley passes

On this day, Boston Celtics All-Star forward Gordon Hayward agreed to sign with the team after his agent initially denied he planned to do so.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team landed All-Star forward Gordon Hayward in 2017 after the Indiana native penned a letter in The Player’s Tribune announcing his decision to leave the Utah Jazz to sign with the Celtics.

Earlier in the day, his agent had denied reports by ESPN NBA insider Chris Haynes that the unrestricted free agent would sign with Boston, but the former Butler player opted for a largely ill-fated reunion with his college coach, Brad Stevens, who had left the collegiate ranks to join the Celtics in the same role in 2013.

“There were so many great things pulling me in that direction,” Hayward explained. “There was the winning culture of Boston, as a city — from the (Red) Sox to the (New England) Pats to the (Boston) Bruins.

Redraft of 2010 class sees five Boston Celtics alumni shift spots

Another five Celtics alumni ended up seeing their draft stock shift considerably with the benefit of hindsight lifting their fortunes.

As Hoops Hype’s Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon keep busy reassessing the draft orders of the last several decades over the last few years, there are always a number of Boston Celtics alumni on the move in their re-drafts as a result.

In the H/H duo’s reassessment of the NBA’s 2010 draft class, a total of five Boston alumni ended up seeing their draft stock shift considerably with the benefit of hindsight lifting their fortunes. And while they won’t see any pay raises or anything else of that sort given the fictitious nature of such an exercise, it’s also nice to see this duo get their flowers, too.

Let’s take a look at which Celtics alumni landed where.

Suggested trade sees Bulls ditch Lonzo Ball for $31 million forward

In this proposed trade, the Chicago Bulls would give up on Lonzo Ball in an attempt to bolster their roster via trade.

Two years ago, the Chicago Bulls made a huge trade for big man Nikola Vucevic, and the following offseason, they signed DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso. However, they only have one playoff appearance to show for it, and it ended in a first-round exit.

Heading into this summer, they have some big-time decisions to make as to whether or not they want to keep their current core intact or blow things up and start over. Well, a recently-proposed trade from Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz would see them commit to the former, as it would land Gordon Hayward in Chicago by way of a deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

Hayward has dealt with his fair share of injury issues over the past few years, but his talent is undeniable. Plus, he will be entering the final year of his contract, so it wouldn’t be a long-term commitment.

Here are the full details of Swartz’s proposed trade:

Bulls receive: Gordon Hayward

Hornets receive: Lonzo Ball, Dalen Terry, Derrick Jones Jr.

Obviously, there might be some hesitation from the side of Chicago when it comes to giving up on Ball. But considering he’s been even more injury-prone than Hayward over the past two years, it’s really not that crazy.

Dalen Terry showed a ton of promise in the G League, but if the Bulls want to win now, they shouldn’t hesitate to throw him in a deal that would see them improve their roster. The same goes for Derrick Jones Jr., as he’s become a fringe rotation player.

Hayward appeared in 50 games this past season and played 31.5 minutes per contest. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 47.5% shooting from the field and 32.5% shooting from distance.

All in all, Hayward’s addition to the Bulls’ lineup could create a starting five of Caruso, Zach LaVine, Hayward, DeRozan, and Vucevic. With guys like Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, and others off the bench, it would likely give them a better chance to compete in the Eastern Conference.

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Gordon Hayward Boston Celtics recovery speech rated No. 9 most emotional NBA moment

Pretty much every fan of the Boston Celtics remembers the moment just minutes into the Celtics’ opening night tilt with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the start of the 2017-18 season with crystal clarity.

Pretty much every fan of the Boston Celtics remembers the moment early in the Celtics’ opening night tilt with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017-18 season with crystal clarity.

This is of course not due to any on-court excellence or a massive victory, but the hard-to-watch freak accident that occurred about five minutes into the game. When veteran forward Gordon Hayward came down awkwardly on one leg, breaking it in a very ugly way, the course of the Celtics organization was forever changed.

In a recent video highlighting the 10 most emotional moments of recent NBA history put together by the folks behind the Hoopflix YouTube channel, the speech Hayward gave from his hospital bed made the cut at No. 9.

To see the segment for yourself or what other moments made it into the clip, take a look at the video embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Celtics’ first coach Alvin Julian, George Nostrand, Shammond Williams born

On this day, the Boston Celtics’ first coach Alvin Julian was born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the Celtics’ first coach, Alvin “Doggie” Julian, was born in 1901 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Before landing the job as head coach of the nascent Celtics franchise, Julian would play football, baseball, and basketball at Bucknell, having a four-year pro career playing baseball for various teams between 1922 and 1926.

At various points in his life, he’d coach all three sports at the collegiate and high school levels but began coaching basketball at Muhlenberg College in 1936. In 1945, Julian started coaching at Holy Cross, winning an NCAA Championship there with future Celtic Bob Cousy, who would later join him on the Celtics in 1950.

The Reading native would of course leave Holy Cross for Boston in 1948 and would leave the pro ranks at the end of Cousy’s rookie season.

Six Boston Celtics alumni changing places in 2010 NBA re-draft

Six Celtics alums saw their draft position shift up or down the order they were actually taken in all those years ago.

Once again, Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of our sister site Hoops Hype have another re-draft, this time around of the 2010 NBA draft. And as has been the case in each of their prior endeavors to, as they put it, reorder the draft the “way it should have been,” there have been a number of Boston Celtics on the move in their revaluation of the draft class from that year.

In fact, a total of six Celtics alums saw their draft position shift up or down the order they were actually taken in all those years ago in a relatively thin cohort when it came to star power.

Let’s dive into which former Celtics were re-drafted where.

On this day: Cowens drafted; Hollins signed; Hayward, Forte, Judkins born

On this day in Celtics history, Dave Cowens was drafted, Ryan Hollins signed, and Gordon Hayward, Joseph Forte, and Jeff Judkins were born.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics All-Star forward Gordon Daniel Hayward was born in 1990 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He would play his college basketball for the Butler Bulldogs under his coach for the Celtics — Brad Stevens — and would be drafted ninth overall by the Utah Jazz in 2010.

He would make his first All-Star appearance with that team in 2017 before leaving in free agency to join Boston that same year, where he would average 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over three seasons with the team despite a career-changing ankle injury sustained just minutes into his career with the team.

Hayward would leave to join the Charlotte Hornets in free agency in November 2020.

Hornets’ Gordon Hayward feeling impressed by Joel Embiid, Sixers

Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is left feeling impressed with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers after their performance.

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers continue to find a way. Coming off an emotional win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to begin this current road trip, they could have easily suffered an emotional letdown on Friday when they took on the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets have been struggling all season long as they hold the second-worst record in the East ahead of only the Detroit Pistons and the Sixers could have overlooked them. Philadelphia also was on the first night of a back-to-back so there was that to consider as well.

Instead, the Sixers took care of business easily. They led the Hornets by as many as 42 on their way to a 121-82 win on the road. Joel Embiid had 38 points on 16-for-21 shooting, 13 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks while James Harden had a triple-double, and Tobias Harris had 18.

The Sixers started the third quarter on an 11-0 run to put the game away.

“I think Joel had a lot to do with it,” Hornets forward Gordon Hayward told reporters. “He was unbelievable. He’s been unbelievable all year, but it’s tough. I mean, they present a lot of challenges with him and Harden, especially in the pick-and-roll, and then we’re doubling him and they’re swinging it around and hitting shots.”

Hayward and the Hornets really had no answer for Embiid and Harden. Once the two of them got going, then Philadelphia steamrolled over Charlotte on their way to an easy win. Once the stars got going, it was smooth sailing for the Sixers.

“We couldn’t get stops, and then we’re playing against a set defense and they’re also good on that end as well,” Hayward added of the Sixers. “So it was a tough one obviously for us, but credit to them they’re rolling right now. They’re playing well.”

The Sixers will now face the Indiana Pacers on Saturday to finish this current trip.

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