For the second July Fourth in a row, a free agent from a predominantly red state broke their basketball hearts by bolting to another team. I have no idea why this has to happen on the Fourth, but Gordon Hayward did the Kevin Durant routine yesterday by accepting a four year deal worth $128 million from the Boston Celtics.
By making the move to Boston, Hayward reunites with his former college coach Brad Stevens. Hayward and Stevens were the darlings of college basketball when cinderella Butler made it to the NCAA Championship Game two seasons in a row. Not a shock that the two reunite at the professional level if you think it all through. Again, too bad Big Al Horford didn’t feel this love for Billy Donovan where he won two NCAA Championships with Donovan and the Gators. But now Horford and Hayward find themselves along with Isiah Thomas as the Celtics’ core which will try to take Boston back to its glory days.
You take away LeBron and move him to the Lakers or somewhere in the West and this Celtics team probably is the best team in the East.
Utah fans are heartbroken and some were burning Hayward jerseys yesterday. I feel for them. As Thunder fans we understand the heart break, but life goes on. As far as the Jazz, this drops them from an up and coming team in the West to a fringe playoff team given what Minnesota has done this off season.
Hayward clearly makes Boston better, but I don’t think it puts them past Lebron and the Cavs as long as their core remains intact.
This is a cool video. Butler punches their Final Four ticket for the second straight season by beating Billy Donovan’s Florida team. Go figure.