NBA Rumors: Celtics Close To Trade For Gordon Hayward, May Give Up Jae Crowder

Gordon Hayward is set to become a player for the Boston Celtics very soon, and new details of the team’s trade with the Utah Jazz for him suggest Jae Crowder may be the player on the other end of the swap.

Ex-Jazz Star Gordon Hayward set to sign with Celtics

One day after Hayward — a 27-year-old small forward who was named an NBA All-Star for the first time this year — revealed he would be joining the Celtics in free agency, reports surfaced Wednesday that the Jazz would receive small forward Crowder in exchange. Hayward was in Boston for a press conference on Wednesday.

The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy was among the first to report the imminent trade:

The Celtics will have a brand new offense this season thanks to the addition of former Duke small forward Jayson Tatum — whom the team selected third overall in this year’s draft — and second-year swingman Jaylen Brown. Now, Boston will also boast Heyward, the 2010 ninth overall pick who has played his entire NBA career with the Jazz.

Crowder’s five-year, $35 million contract with the Celtics is set to expire in 2020.

According to 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Brian Robb, the Jazz might also consider involving players like Rodney Hood, Dante Exum or Derrick Favors in the trade:

The Celtics would need to make substantial room for salary cap in order to take on Hayward’s reported four-year, $128 million deal. Therefore, even if they didn’t complete a sign-and-trade for the forward, they would have to yield at least one player like Crowder to remain under their cap.

Should one of the aforementioned three players end up leaving Utah in exchange for another Celtics star other than Crowder, there could be tension on the Celtics roster between Crowder and Hayward. In January, Crowder criticized his team’s fans on Twitter for cheering for Hayward during a Celtics-Jazz game.

Hayward averaged 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last regular season with the Jazz, whom he led to the franchise’s first postseason series victory since 2010 this year with a 104-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 21: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball in the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 21, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah.