Gordon Hayward to sleep on decision to sign with Miami, Utah or Boston

The Miami Heat made an impression on Gordon Hayward, but so did his hometown Utah Jazz. Now we await the biggest decision of his NBA free agency.

Hours after his meeting with the Jazz concluded, Gordon Hayward will take a night to sleep on his decision to re-sign with Utah, or go to the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. According to Amick, the Jazz made a “very strong impression” on Hayward in a meeting that, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, lasted 3 1/2 hours.

It had previously been reported that the Heat’s meeting with Hayward went very well, and that head coach Erik Spoelstra particularly made a strong impression.

As we wait on Hayward’s decision, here are some (okay, a lot of) thoughts on the process so far:

All three teams Hayward has met with have one important thing in common: They are led by some of the best head coaches in the NBA.
Spoelstra was a finalist for Coach of the Year after turning an 11-30 team around to .500 by season’s end.
Brad Stevens has long been considered a rising star among the coaching ranks, and led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals last season.
Quin Snyder has helped turn the Jazz around, coaching them to 51 wins last season in a competitive Western Conference.

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There’s been speculation about what Hayward wants out of this summer. If it were easy, he wouldn’t have to sleep on the decision.
On one hand, Utah is where he’s developed into an All-Star player, and it’d be hard to abort from a young 50-win team now.
Especially with Rudy Gobert, who looks poised to be a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
The Jazz also acquired Ricky Rubio from the Timberwolves, who Hayward wanted to play with, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
On the other hand, Hayward could pull a Kevin Durant, who signed with the Warriors–at least in part–because he wanted to a change of scenery after playing in Oklahoma City for so many years.
If that’s the case, both Boston and Miami are interesting destinations.
The Heat culture and Miami lifestyle cannot be understated. Despite the reckless opinions of certain pundits in Boston and Utah, Miami is more than a party city. There is the weather, the water and beaches and a burgeoning art and tech startup scene (not to mention the lack of state income tax). Living in a vacation destination could be a convincing factor for the family of a traveling NBA player.
As for Boston, the Brad Stevens connection strikes me as mostly speculative. I know Stevens coached Hayward at Butler, but that fact has been spun into a positive despite a lack of actual reporting that that’s indeed a driving factor for Hayward.
Hayward was already coached once by Stevens, does he think that he can grow much more under the eye of his college coach again?
The growth of James Johnson and Dion Waiters could have made an impression on Hayward. If two guys nearly out of the league could turn their careers around in one season, just think of what Erik Spoelstra could get out of Hayward, and vice versa.

Speaking of Johnson and Waiters…

Johnson has put himself in the middle of Hayward’s decision by involving himself in Miami’s recruiting pitch, and openly saying he’d be patient with the Heat as they await said decision.
By being a part of the pitch, Johnson could make himself a reason why Hayward would want to sign in Miami.
Therefore, if Hayward signs and the Heat have to decide between Waiters and Johnson, Johnson has given himself a major edge.
In the case that Hayward signs, and the Heat re-sign James Johnson, don’t expect Tyler Johnson to become the starting shooting guard. Despite his contract, he’s best as a sixth man off the bench. Plus, if he were to get traded mid-season, it’s easier to replace a reserve than a starter.
Rather, I’d look at Josh Richardson to get the nod because of his catch-and-shoot potential and defensive ability.

Next: Bam Adebayo impresses in summer league debut

But that’s getting way ahead of ourselves. In the meantime, all we can do is wait on Hayward’s decision.

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