For the second-consecutive summer, the Boston Celtics have landed a marquee free agent, this time in small forward Gordon Hayward.
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Free agent Gordon Hayward has agreed to a four-year, $128M deal with the Boston Celtics, league source tells The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2017
Hayward receives a player option in the fourth year of his Boston contract, league sources tell The Vertical. https://t.co/mCP9r5wdXz
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2017
The move follows conflicting reports over if Hayward had made a decision. Confirmation emerged after he released a Players Tribune story.
Hayward, the former No. 9 overall selection, visited the Miami Heat, Celtics and Utah Jazz before making his free agency decision.
Hayward, who is coming off an All-Star year for the Jazz and made it to the second round of the NBA playoffs shakes up the power in the Eastern Conference by adding a legitimate offensive weapon to a Celtics team lacking one in last year's playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers are still certainly the team to beat, but Boston's addition makes things a bit more interesting heading into 2017-18.
The Jazz traded for point guard Ricky Rubio, but the move was not enough to keep Hayward from rejoining his college coach, Brad Stevens in Boston.
He averaged a career-best 21 points and five rebounds per game.
