Executives reportedly expect Gordon Hayward to opt in to $34 million. Because $34 million.

Gordon Hayward was having a strong season: 17.3 points a game on an impressive 59.3 true shooting percentage, plus 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists a night. He was playing the best ball he had since arriving in Boston, having bounced back from his horrific leg injury.

He also has a player option on his contract this summer. Players having strong years often decide to hit the market while they’re hot…

Except for guys about to make $34.2 million.

Especially ones who are not going to get that much on the open market. Which is why league executives told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com they expect Gordon will opt into his final year.

“It’s too much money to pass up,” one general manager told Heavy.com. “He could get a longer deal if that is what he really wants. But I don’t think the Celtics want to give it to him, they have a lot of young guys to pay and the starting (salary) number on whatever the contract is will not be close to $34 million. He can opt in this year and then take a big contract next year. When you look at what he has done since his injury, he has only gotten better. He could get better next year and be ready for the summer of 2021.”

The summer of 2021 will have more teams with cap space and is expected to be a much deeper free agent class. If teams strike out on their first choice, they may come at Hayward as a Plan B with a sizeable contract.

Just not one for $34.2 million. Which is why Haward will take the money in his hand and run to the bank.




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Thought I'd share a little happy news. Looks like GH will be opting in...

He'd be a damn fool if he didn't.  As solid a year he has had nobody will offer him anywhere near that much as a free agent, especially with the hit to the salary cap this cessation of games will produce.


bob


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You want to talk hoops, since the all star game Tatum has been avg 34 points 9 rebounds and 4 assists, on 50% FG 50% from 3 and 82% from the line, sounds pretty lethal to me, sick efficiency....I’m not a stat guy, but I was pretty shocked his numbers were this high. These are legit superstar numbers, no wonder he was recently player of the month.

Opting in makes sense. $34 million is a lot of cabbage. That will give the Celtics another year to figure things out in terms of a long term deal

GH has been very solid all year long and has perhaps been our most complete player.

With the uncertainty in the world today??? He would be nuts to opt out. I also believe he likes playing here. Any chance Danny would convince him to renegotiate his deal for years added on?

RosalieTCeltics wrote:With the uncertainty in the world today??? He would be nuts to opt out.  I also believe he likes playing here.  Any chance Danny would convince him to renegotiate his deal for years added on?

well that would probably be the best case scenario for the Celtics, if he would.

Hayward could opt OUT and then he signs another 4 year deal at a more reasonable number (maybe in the $110M range or so). lose about $10 next year, but gain $70M or more overall that way.

He gave up $40 million to sign here,  that is what they said when they made the deal. He must have been at super max $$$?????  I mean, this is ridiculous.   I love the guy, want him to stay, but I certainly do not want them to not be able to make a few moves in the off season.
I truly believe he likes playing on this team now so you have to wonder Of course, there is always the sour taste of what went on with Al. They are talking that he may end up in Sacramento, was it worth it Al????

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2020/03/why-boston-celtics-gordon-hayward-long-term-deal-makes-much-more-sense-after-nba-coronavirus-hiatus-john-karalis.html



Why Boston Celtics, Gordon Hayward long-term deal makes much more sense after NBA coronavirus hiatus



Updated 4:40 PM; Today 3:05 PM



By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




Gordon Hayward’s future with the Boston Celtics was always going to be a storyline this summer, but with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the NBA and leaving this season’s future in jeopardy, figuring it out is becoming an even bigger priority.

Hayward has a nearly $34.2 million player option on the final year of his deal. That’s a massive number in any scenario, but the league’s hiatus is making that number even bigger. A projected salary cap of around $115 million could get cut dramatically because of the revenue lost due to games not being played and broadcast.

It’s unclear right now exactly how the lost revenue will impact NBA business. There is a lot of money at stake, so the NBA is going to exhaust all possible options before making its final decision. If it can find any safe option to bring basketball back in a way that makes sense, they’ll try it. Any money they can recoup, if they can recoup any at all, will lessen the blow.

For now, we’re left to guess at what next year’s cap number will be. This will require an agreement between the league and the player’s union, which does give us some precedent. ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently suggested the two sides could take the same approach they did to the lockout eight years ago and just leave the cap unchanged, keeping it at this year’s $109 million.

If Hayward and Enes Kanter both exercise their player options (Kanter’s is $5 million), the Celtics payroll would be about $156 million. That includes cap holds for three draft picks. Let’s assume they trade away the Milwaukee pick and cut Semi Ojeleye (team option) in order to keep their roster to 15. That and cleaning out some cap holds gets Boston down to about $147 million.

That would put the Celtics about $37.9 million over the cap and $14 million over the tax line. That equals a tax bill of about $27 million.

If, however, the Celtics and Hayward agree to have him opt out and sign a five-year, $100 million contract, they could start him at $17,500,000 in the first season and bring next year’s payroll down to $130.3 million, which would be slightly under the tax.

(Note: five-years, $100 million is the high end of his possible value and used not to advocate for this deal, but to illustrate that they could go that high and still potentially be under the tax. Any reduction in the overall contract value from here just saves them more money.)

So if Hayward opts in, it would cost Boston about $61 million next season in his salary and taxes. If he opts out and signs a long-term deal, it would cost just $17,500,000 or less. That’s an approximate $44 million difference.

It makes sense from a team perspective, but what about from Hayward’s? Why would he do this?

He could opt in and take his $34 million, but he’d be entering a much more uncertain market in the summer of 2021. The impact of these lost games could have a long-standing impact on the cap, not only reducing it next season but for years to come if the league and players can agree to spread out the losses over multiple years.

Will Hayward, at 31 years old, be able to make $65 million over the final four years of his career in that environment? Team will have less money to spend next summer, but it doesn’t change the quantity and quality of potential free agents. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Anthony Davis are only some of the potential names on the list. Rudy Gobert, Jrue Holiday, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo, and Chris Paul could be on the market, too. Even guys like Evan Fournier, Kelly Oubre, and Otto Porter could give teams cheaper options than Hayward.

Boston could offer him a fifth year as a reward for opting out now and saving them big money in the short term. Wyc Grousbeck and the Celtics ownership group are more than willing to pay the tax if they have to, but why pay it if it can be avoided?

The Celtics might have been able to find ways to get under the tax next season if Hayward opted in under the old financial structure. Even if they didn’t, the tax bill might have been about $8 million or so. The new reality could end up costing the Celtics a ton more money and Hayward a lot of opportunity on the open market.

A long-term, lower average annual value contract always made sense for both sides. It gives Boston a critical player who’ll be difficult to replace on the open market. It also gives Hayward long-term stability in a place he’s comfortable. That means now, as the NBA struggles to figure out its future finances, figuring out this kind of long-term solution makes more sense than ever.



bob


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dboss wrote:Opting in makes sense.  $34 million is a lot of cabbage.  That will give the Celtics another year to figure things out in terms of a long term deal

GH has been very solid all year long and has perhaps been our most complete player.

So Gordon has been our most complete player? IMHO, Not with Tatum on this roster. Splain please...

I understand when we signed him he was an all star coming off a dominant playoff run, 2 40 point games and was carrying the Jazz, but you can’t tell me he’s as good or better than 2 J’s who always have the toughest defensive match up, especially Jaylen. Tatum also now draws the best opposing defenders, allowing GH favorable match ups, GH is still very good, great passer, on his good nights, he’s very very good. Great to have 3 wings of this caliber, but he’s not that same carry the team on my back player from Jazz.

When you look back from the start of the season to the closing of games, his play has been so good.  On days when he is not scoring he is spreading the floor for the other two, passing, rebounding, and in general a big positive on the floor.  Their offense flows so much better when he is on the floor.  When healthy he has shown how valuable he is to this team. Sure JT and JB are our studs, but I believe having GH there is a huge positive for this team

Hayward was beginning to look closer to his former self again. I'm sure he can be a useful and productive player in the mix. The $34 mil is a heavy hit when you still have Tatum to sign, and a couple of missing pieces out there that will need money, but we won't find a player on Hayward's level much cheaper.

NYCelt +1. He's had a very weird stay here in Boston. Injury. Recovery. Nice season. Corona Virus Interruption. WTH!!!

db

NYCelt wrote:Hayward was beginning to look closer to his former self again. I'm sure he can be a useful and productive player in the mix. The $34 mil is a heavy hit when you still have Tatum to sign, and a couple of missing pieces out there that will need money, but we won't find a player on Hayward's level much cheaper.

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Exactly, if RWill and Romeo develop anything near 2 J’s we will have even more dynamic young talent, both kids easily have attributes to exceed at this level, will the light go off and they become best versions of themselves? I love having all this young talent, RWill and Romeo can be great improving pieces around 2 J’s. Tatum is gonna get paid, Jaylen did us a favor, giving us a little home discount. I agree GH brings a lot of winning qualities to the table and the 3 wing together offense and defense works, prime example being first Laker game. I would hope GH realizes he’s very comfortable here, doesn’t have to carry the team, just fill in the gaps and be key part of a lethal crew, give us a hometown discount GH, you got your money, help us keep our key young pieces going forward.

So where does Danny go in the draft. I just read that ESPN is projecting a point guard?? I guess the draft is heavy with them. Only if he is over 6'4" tall. No more little guys. Does he trade the pick???? It will be here before your know it.