Hayward Heads Back To Salt Lake City

Celtics Get Rudy Gobert, C Bojan Bogdanović, SF Jazz Get Gordon Hayward, SF Boston's 2020 First Round Pick Milwaukee's 2020 First Round Pick

In this scenario, we see the C’s ship a lot more than some may want them to, but the return package may be too much to pass on.

This deal sees Gordon Hayward return to Utah, where his career began and where he blossomed into a max contract player. He helped lead the Jazz to the postseason on two separate occasions during his seven year stint, even guiding them to the second round of the playoffs in 2016-17.

During his final season in Salt Lake City the small forward put up, then, career best averages of 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds to go along with 3.5 assists and a steal per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from deep.

Though it was perceived that Brad Stevens’ system would bring out the best of Hayward’s game — being he coached him in college and molded him into a lottery pick — to date, the 30 year old’s best days in the NBA were easily when playing in Quin Snyder’s scheme.

With the wing heading back to Salt Lake City it gives him a chance to replicate the same — or similar — level of play he once performed at while also giving the team a formidable replacement second option on the team to run alongside star Donovan Mitchell.

Along with Gordon Hayward the C’s would also be sending two 2020 First Round Picks (Boston’s and Milwaukee’s) for, not just Gobert but, also, the services of offensive specialist Bojan Bogdanović.

Since coming into the league back in 2014 the small forward has managed to improve upon his game seemingly every single year. In season six of his NBA career Bogdanović is finding himself producing career numbers virtually all across the board.

Through 63 games played the wing boasts averages of 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from deep.

The 30 year old is under contract for the next three seasons, giving the Boston Celtics a much needed scoring piece to either come off the bench (rank 29th in the league in second unit scoring) or in the starting lineup for the next several years.

Ideally, the team would have the forward coming off the pine but, even if inserted into the starting lineup, a unit of Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Bojan Bogdanović, Jayson Tatum and Rudy Gobert would be the most menacing starting-5 the east would have to offer.

It’s a haul for sure, but on paper, this aforementioned lineup should easily catapult the C’s to the top of the conference’s standings while also providing Utah with a more than serviceable return package for their estranged star.