While the odds of Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward returning to Boston are definitely slimmer than they were before he opted out of his current deal, it doesn’t mean a longer-term deal with Boston is off the table.
And with the New York Times ‘ Marc Stein reporting that the Indiana Pacers have pursued the Butler product via a trade, it is also not the only potential ending that could make for a happy ending for all involved.
With the New York Knicks reportedly interested in signing the wing outright however, it could make for a pricy contract should a bidding way ensue — and it’s always possible the Indiana native simply wants a change of scenery after all he has been through in Boston.
Hayward has indeed opted out of next season's $34.2 million with the Celts and becomes an unrestricted free agent Friday at 6 PM ET
The Knicks are in play …
Indiana has also pursued Hayward via trade, sources say …
And Boston can still re-sign Hayward to a long-term deal
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 19, 2020
Hayward leaving Boston can go a number of ways, and most of them could still help the Celtics to a greater or lesser extent — him leaving to sign with the Knicks outright being the sole type of scenario the Celtics lose more than they gain.
If the Pacers appeal, they’d need to sign-and-trade Hayward (or use a team like the Knicks’ cap space at a premium cost to absorb salary to make space for him), sending back assets Boston will be in less of a position to gripe about.
With the Hayward opting out, the Celtics are out of the luxury tax. They’re now $19M below the tax with plenty of flexibility. Still haven’t heard about Ojeleye’s team option.
They can still sign-and-trade Hayward to an over-the-cap team. pic.twitter.com/0YiLUGtcjP
— Yossi Gozlan (@YoggiMane) November 19, 2020
Any other team without cap space — most of the league, in truth — would have to follow a similar path, even if they can convince the former Bulldog to sign a discount deal below the max.
And in the event Hayward does leave outright, dipping out of the luxury tax to delay the repeater tax and having the full $9.3 million mid-level exception in an offseason you can likely get a starting caliber player for that amount is certainly better than nothing at all.
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