Miami Heat rumors indicate a definite interest in free agent Gordon Hayward. Miami has emerged as a threat to sign Hayward away from the Utah Jazz and also prevent him from signing with the Boston…
Miami Heat rumors indicate a definite interest in free agent Gordon Hayward. Miami has emerged as a threat to sign Hayward away from the Utah Jazz and also prevent him from signing with the Boston Celtics. A report by NBA analyst Marc Stein states that Utah is worried about what Miami could do during free agency. Losing Hayward to either Miami or Boston could be a tragic occurrence for Utah, as he is the best player on the roster.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Miami Heat will have a lot of money to work with this offseason; in part because the Chris Bosh contract will no longer count against the salary cap. This frees up a lot of money to work with during free agency and raises the likelihood of the front office luring a player like Gordon Hayward down to Florida. It is estimated that Miami could have as much as $40 million to work with, making it possible to offer Hayward a max deal.
These new Miami Heat rumors make a lot of sense, as Gordon Hayward could be the perfect complimentary player to the players already on the roster. Having Hassan Whiteside locked up at center and Goran Dragic as the point guard for several years to come, adding a wing player with the skills that Hayward has might just make Miami a contender in the Eastern Conference. The team will have to add the right bench pieces, but this is a grand first move to open up the NBA offseason.
Last season, with the Utah Jazz, Gordon Hayward averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal per game. He shot 47.1 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three-point range, and 84.4 percent from the free throw line. Gordon also just turned 27 in March, predicting that he may be coming into his best years in the NBA. That makes him an extremely valuable player in free agency, which is why so many Boston Celtics rumors have linked him to the East Coast.
For these Miami Heat rumors to play out in a positive fashion for the team, Gordon Hayward would have to want to leave the Utah Jazz. The Jazz can offer him the biggest long-term contract, making the team a favorite to retain the best player on the roster. If Hayward is intent on seeing what free agency can bring by playing for a new team, then that immediately opens the door for a team like the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat to step right through.
Most NBA analysts feel that Hayward is going to stay with Utah, where he can make the most money and remain the biggest star on the roster. Utah is also coming off a pretty good season, where the team finished with a 51-31 record and tied for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. Utah even beat the Los Angeles Clippers to advance to the second-round of the NBA Playoffs, but they ended up getting knocked out by the Golden State Warriors.
The Miami Heat finished the season at 41-41, tied for the eighth spot in the East, but they missed the postseason on a tiebreaker with the Chicago Bulls. This shows how close the team is to contending in the conference again, especially since the main pieces of the roster will return for the 2017-18 NBA season. Adding Gordon Hayward to a roster that already includes Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic could make Miami one of the three best teams in the East.
There are going to be a lot of news stories about Hayward and the Jazz over the next few weeks, with July serving as the first time that teams can finally start signing free agents. Utah will likely put a max contract on the table for Hayward, but before signing it, he will be wooed by teams like Miami and the Boston Celtics. Imagine what could happen if the various Miami Heat rumors lead to a way for the team to get both Gordon Hayward and Paul George in the same offseason.
[Featured Image by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images]
