Boston Celtics: 2 C’s that may be better off elsewhere

Gordon Hayward

You had to see this coming. For a long time now, the Houdini has covered the expectations that Gordon Hayward has failed to live up to since signing a max contract free agent deal in the summer of 2017.

Injuries are the primary reason things have gone wrong. I mean the man broke his leg just minutes into his regular season debut for the first team he actually got to choose to play for. That said, history is going to look at the bigger picture of Hayward’s tenure.

He arrived alongside Kyrie Irving to bring Boston into the championship picture after Isaiah Thomas failed to get the C’s past LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers. Instead, he fell out of the starting rotation and has since been surpassed by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in the rotation.

His contract dictates being a top option, but he may never be able to gain ground on the ascending Celtics duo. At best, he is a fourth option with the C’s. If you look around the league, there are teams that have a void in perimeter scoring and play-making.

Boston doesn’t have that issue. Given that fact, Hayward’s career trajectory and financial outlook would benefit from being a top option elsewhere. If he values winning, however, he should look to remain in Beantown for the long haul.