Celtics Rumors: Gordon Hayward wants out of Boston

Gordon Hayward, the veteran forward for the Boston Celtics, may be en route to opting out of the final year of his $34 million contract.

Though we may have been deeming it a guarantee that Gordon Hayward will be picking up the final $34 million left on his deal with the Boston Celtics, according to a recent report made by Ryen Russillo, this may not wind up being the case.

When speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, the concept of the forward-moving on this offseason was brought up, and it was even mentioned that there have been whispers of a desire from the former All-Star to leave town.

"“I’ve heard Gordon Hayward does want out, but I don’t know if he’s going to get the money. He’s not opting out of that huge number unless he knows he’s getting the deal.”"

This was intertwined with the discussion about how the Atlanta Hawks could potentially add more talent around the likes of current face of the franchise, Trae Young, and how Hayward could prove to be a solid pickup for the team.

2019-20 was a great resurgence year for the 30-year-old wing. After struggling with injuries — both mental and physical — throughout his first two seasons in Beantown, this past campaign proved to be his best since his 2016-17 career year.

Through 52 games played, Hayward posted averages of 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 50 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from downtown. On the year he proved to be the team’s best facilitator and one of their most consistent shooters.

With statistical turnouts such as these, the 10-year-veteran produced like a second option on a majority of teams in the league. On the Boston Celtics, however, he served as the fourth option behind Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Jaylen Brown.

Should the talented veteran opt-out, he will have numerous suitors vying for his services — an article idea to be concocted by us at HH in the coming days.

Like we promised a few weeks ago, a large portion of our writing staff will stop looking to trade Gordon Hayward, especially now that it would appear he may just wind up leaving on his own.