The Gordon Hayward free agency saga has gotten (very) weird on Independence Day and the entire NBA world is captivated. First, reports surfaced that Hayward had decided to flee Utah and join the Boston Celtics. That, as you may expect, produced considerable reaction, including a public celebration from Isaiah Thomas. Since then, though, that initial glee has been tempered by reports that Hayward did not, in fact, make a decision.
One bit of news that has surfaced since the cooling off period, though, is that the Miami Heat could be out of the running.
Woj on ESPN says Hayward eliminated Miami last night.
— James Stewart ☝️ (@IAmJamesStewart) July 4, 2017
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said as much on television on Tuesday afternoon and, from there, a similar sentiment was confirmed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
We reported pessimism on Hayward/Heat front this AM, and ESPN's Woj reports Heat was eliminated from consideration last night….
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 4, 2017
… His agent hasn't addressed that, but Heat deserves to be informed if this is true so Miami can start making other moves.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 4, 2017
Apparently, Hayward camp wants to tell everyone at once who the winner is. But Hayward associate this AM said unlikely it's Miami.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 4, 2017
While the Heat were seen by many as a serious suitor, most of the chatter lately has been between the incumbent Jazz and the Celtics, making this less than a full-fledged stunner. Still, this buzz certainly sheds light on where Hayward could be heading when he (finally) makes a firm decision and, by simple math, increases the chances that fans of the Jazz or Celtics will be very happy in the coming hours and days.
Gordon Hayward’s choice is coming eventually, but reporting indicates that he won’t be joining Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley and the Miami Heat.
