$120 Million Former Star Floated as Celtics

‘Optimistic’ Offseason Target

The Boston Celtics will enter the 2024 NBA Offseason with not much to offer free agents outside of the veteran’s minimum. However, because certain players have fallen out of their prime, the veteran’s minimum may be the best they can hope for.

Gordon Hayward could fit this description, which could make him a free agent target for the Celtics. Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey explained why he believes Hayward is an “optimistic” target for the Celtics.

“Going from a high-value player to one on a minimum contract can happen fast in the NBA, and Gordon Hayward may have reached that point this season,” Bailey wrote in a March 19 story. “He turns 34 this month and is averaging just 4.3 points since being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.”

Bailey added that Hayward could play a role similar to Joe Ingles, who Bailey also floated as a Celtics target.

“For Boston, he could fill a role similar to the one described for Ingles above while being younger and bringing more experience as a volume scorer

Back in 2017, Hayward signed a max contract with the Celtics. Sadly he suffered a career-altering leg injury five minutes into his first game with the team. He is no longer ayward is in the last year of a four-year, $120 million contract he signed with the Thunder in 2020.