Gordon Hayward signed a four-year, $128 million contract with the Celtics seven years ago in free agency, but the 34-year-old's instincts didn't lean toward Boston initially.
Hayward had just wrapped up an All-Star run with the Utah Jazz, averaging a career-high 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists before becoming one of the NBA's premier free agents. Utah remained in the running to retain its homegrown All-Star while two other teams -- the Celtics and Heat -- secured their meetings with Hayward and then-agent Mark Bartelstein. There was one particular meeting, however, that left Hayward ready to sign immediately although it wouldn't have resulted in him taking his talents to Boston.
"That was a super tough decision," Hayward said on "The Dan Lebatard Show with Stugotz." "I basically visited three teams. I started with Miami then did Boston then finished with Utah, meeting with all those teams. I remember vividly telling my agent after each meeting like, 'I want to go to Miami. We don't even need to do the other meetings.' Miami is the place I want to be. He kind of was like, 'Well, we got to hear everyone out.' The Heat have always been a first-class organization so I was really, really close to signing there."
The Celtics, at the time, needed to land a marquee free agent after swinging and missing out on the Kevin Durant free agency sweepstakes in the Summer of 2016. Boston was still in the process of rebuilding after parting ways with its Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen trio, and had just selected Jayson Tatum third overall out of Duke in the draft. Hayward was the franchise cornerstone in Utah, yet the Jazz didn't have an immediate position to contend in the Western Conference, unlike the Celtics who -- with 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas being Boston's lone All-Star -- reached the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron James and the powerhouse Cavaliers.
Hayward noted that while Miami made the strongest first impression during his free agency tour, the Celtics had an advantage that no other team could compete with; the chance at unfinished business with ex-Butler head coach Brad Stevens who Hayward nearly won the 2010 NCAA National Championship with against Duke.
"Brad was the one that sold it," Hayward recalled. "It's hard to compete with somebody that I played under at Butler and had a huge impact on my life, not only as a player but also a person. So that was kind of the key thing was being able to play for him again."
