Boston Celtics: 3 landings spots for Gordon Hayward if he opts out

Landing spot for Gordon Hayward No. 3) Charlotte Hornets

The first landing spot involving the Atlanta Hawks revolved around the idea that Gordon Hayward could prove his worth as a veteran mentor as well as the second scoring fiddle on a 2021 playoff-hopeful squad.

The second landing spot with Indiana was about him filling in as the third cog alongside the likes of All-Stars Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in an attempt to contend for the Eastern Conference crown in the state where he was born and raised.

This third landing spot involving the Charlotte Hornets is mainly focusing on potentially rebuilding his star-status and financial security.

Prior to officially signing with the Boston Celtics, during the summer of 2017 Gordon Hayward was seen as one of the top-billed free agents in a market that also included the likes of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Blake Griffin.

During the season leading up to free agency, the small forward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal per game on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent shooting from deep. He was named an All-Star thanks to his production and managed to guide the Utah Jazz to the second round of the postseason as their top-dog.

Now, fast-forward a few long and injury-plagued seasons later and you’ll find Hayward’s star-status dimmed tremendously at only the age of 30. That said, though it’s nowhere near as luminous as it was during his previous free agency period, it’s not to say that flame can’t shine bright once more should he be put in the right situation.

Not only do the Charlotte Hornets have the cap space necessary to sign Hayward, but they also are lacking in any form of a franchise-leader. Being the fact that the two parties were expected to unite several years back, perhaps there’s still interest, one, for the franchise to potentially land a leader for this young team and, two, for the former All-Star to try and reinvent himself as he enters the later stages of his career.