Gordon Hayward Will Meet With Three Teams

JUNE 29, 8:36am: There are conflicting reports on the order of Hayward’s meetings, with some reports – including one from ESPN’s Jorge Sedano – suggesting the sit-down with the Celtics will happen last, following Monday’s session with the Jazz.

The order of the meetings likely won’t end up being all that important, however. Last summer, for instance, Kevin Durant met with the Warriors second out of six teams.

JUNE 28, 8:23pm: Hayward will meet with the Celtics on Sunday, according to Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports.

7:10pm: The Heat will get the first meeting with Jazz free agent Gordon Hayward, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Hayward has scheduled a session with Miami officials for Saturday, the first day of free agency, then will meet with Utah’s delegation on Monday. The Celtics will also get a meeting, but a date hasn’t been set, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.

Those are the only three teams Hayward will be considering, Jones adds, and he would like to make a decision quickly. Hayward, who opted out of a $16.7MM deal for next season, is expected to receive max offers from all three organizations. However, the Jazz have the advantage of being able to sign him for five years, while the Heat and Celtics are limited to four.

Hayward, 27, is coming off his first All-Star appearance, averaging 21.9 points in 73 games and shooting almost 40% from 3-point range. He has spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Utah.

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