"Is Gordon Hayward Worth The Cap Space For Boston" Article

[dreamgreen]

Hayward is far and away the best player we can add via free agency and if we can get him you do it, end of story. Not sure it makes us a contender either but it sure as hell makes us better. IMO he would be our best all around player.

[LilRip]

I don't see how we can turn down signing Hayward (unless DA has some big trade in the works). This is pretty much the last year we have relevant cap space. Once we extend IT, all that cap goes kaput. At least from a max player perspective.

As for KO, Rozier, Amir, Bradley, and the like...I get that they're fan favorites but at the end of the day, these are role players. Highly productive ones (particularly Bradley), but ones that you can't build your team around. This C's team still needs a core, and a bunch of productive role players like Bradley and Crowder aren't getting it done.

[PAOBoston]

I think the question needs to be re-phrased. I don't think it was ever "Does Hayward make the C's legit contenders?" The question should be "Does Hayward make the C's better?" Just because he isn't in the same class as Lebron or Durant, it doesn't mean the C's should not strive to improve the team in the areas they feel need improving. Sign Hayward, improve your scoring/offense, and go from there. You never know what will happen with CLE/GS (an injury, trade, etc).

[Future Celtics Owner]

I don't see how we can turn down signing Hayward (unless DA has some big trade in the works). This is pretty much the last year we have relevant cap space. Once we extend IT, all that cap goes kaput. At least from a max player perspective.

As for KO, Rozier, Amir, Bradley, and the like...I get that they're fan favorites but at the end of the day, these are role players. Highly productive ones (particularly Bradley), but ones that you can't build your team around. This C's team still needs a core, and a bunch of productive role players like Bradley and Crowder aren't getting it done.

Bradley is more than a role player. We only have 1 guy that can create offense on the team (IT) and that hurts us a lot. Unfortunatley, Horford does not create his own or score as much as a max player should.

I still think we will not resign IT next year and hopefully we trade Marcus+ Avery this year. Jaylen and Fultz will be good enough to start next year and get 30 minutes a game. It makes no sense to sign Tony Allen 2.0 to a 14m contract as a backup 1/2 when you have Fultz and Brown.

[Surferdad]

This article and all the responses on this thread highlight the basic inconsistency in what we have heard Danny Ainge say.

On one hand, he has said many times that he will make moves only if they make the team better.  However, we have also heard him say that you need "special" players to win championships.  Over the past year or two, he has been making moves to make the team better  -- trade Thornton for IT, sign Horford -- however, neither of those guys (especially IT) were considered truly "special" at the time (IT has shown more than we expected, but we know he still has flaws).

The bottom line is that getting "special" players is not easy and there are only a handful in the NBA currently.  So perhaps DA is successful in attracting Hayward, but we must recognize that it would be a move to make the team better, not to win a championship.  I think DA's strategy is to get special players via the draft.  IT/Horford/Hayward will be fun and competitive in the meantime.  I guess I'm OK with that.

[footey]

This is a legitimate issue.  If Horford, Hayward and IT are all max contracts, very little payroll left to sign anyone else. Does that make any sense? Even if we can keep other guys, it seems the luxury tax gets out of control pretty quickly. 

Maybe Durant's decision to take less than max will influence others (e.g., IT) to do the same.  I doubt it will influence Hayward. 

[jambr380]

This is a legitimate issue.  If Horford, Hayward and IT are all max contracts, very little payroll left to sign anyone else. Does that make any sense? Even if we can keep other guys, it seems the luxury tax gets out of control pretty quickly. 

Maybe Durant's decision to take less than max will influence others (e.g., IT) to do the same.  I doubt it will influence Hayward.

To me, Hayward seems like the best of the three when comparing him, IT, and Horford. For that reason alone, you sign him and figure out the rest later. We really only have KO to worry about this off-season and he doesn't make or break anything. I, too, am very concerned about the luxury tax, though.

Hayward is on the open market - if he leaves his current team, it will be for the max. Durant did the same thing last year. We can hope for the best with IT. I am not really sure he gets any max contracts from any non-bottom feeder teams. He maybe worth the max, but will he really want to leave a winning situation? Possibly, I guess, right?

[GreenCoffeeBean]

How much better than Chandler Parsons is Hayward? Not because I want Parsons but because I think you're all going nuts over Hayward because he played for Stevens in college.

[gouki88]

How much better than Chandler Parsons is Hayward? Not because I want Parsons but because I think you're all going nuts over Hayward because he played for Stevens in college.

Gordon Hayward is literally better in basically every way by a significant margin. Maybe people are going nuts over Hayward because he's an All-Star wing who scores over 20ppg (something Parsons has never done) while shooting 47% from the field and 40% from 3.

Parsons didn't even play 40 games last season, and in the games he did play, he only cracked 20mpg on Memphis - not a team deep in the wings.

Terrible comparison.

[LilRip]

I don't see how we can turn down signing Hayward (unless DA has some big trade in the works). This is pretty much the last year we have relevant cap space. Once we extend IT, all that cap goes kaput. At least from a max player perspective.

As for KO, Rozier, Amir, Bradley, and the like...I get that they're fan favorites but at the end of the day, these are role players. Highly productive ones (particularly Bradley), but ones that you can't build your team around. This C's team still needs a core, and a bunch of productive role players like Bradley and Crowder aren't getting it done.

Bradley is more than a role player. We only have 1 guy that can create offense on the team (IT) and that hurts us a lot. Unfortunatley, Horford does not create his own or score as much as a max player should.

I still think we will not resign IT next year and hopefully we trade Marcus+ Avery this year. Jaylen and Fultz will be good enough to start next year and get 30 minutes a game. It makes no sense to sign Tony Allen 2.0 to a 14m contract as a backup 1/2 when you have Fultz and Brown.

How would you classify Bradley then? Because "star" doesn't really come to mind.

[86MaxwellSmart]

I don't see how we can turn down signing Hayward (unless DA has some big trade in the works). This is pretty much the last year we have relevant cap space. Once we extend IT, all that cap goes kaput. At least from a max player perspective.

As for KO, Rozier, Amir, Bradley, and the like...I get that they're fan favorites but at the end of the day, these are role players. Highly productive ones (particularly Bradley), but ones that you can't build your team around. This C's team still needs a core, and a bunch of productive role players like Bradley and Crowder aren't getting it done.

Yes, this is why you sign Hayward if he wants to come here...After this summer---we will not be able to sign a Max Free Agent for years to come, but we can go over the cap to retain our own players.

[Roy H.]

How much better than Chandler Parsons is Hayward? Not because I want Parsons but because I think you're all going nuts over Hayward because he played for Stevens in college.

Well, Hayward is on about the same tier as George and Butler, and Parsons averaged 6 points on a sub-.400 eFG%. So, you tell me.

[Tr1boy]

Yes

Players are not lining up to come to Boston

[Phantom255x]

How much better than Chandler Parsons is Hayward? Not because I want Parsons but because I think you're all going nuts over Hayward because he played for Stevens in college.

Well, even in his prime, healthy seasons he was averaging around 15 PPG, and 5 RPG.

Hayward has been averaging 18-20 PPG consistently with gradual improvement, and his rebounding numbers have went up a bit too.

This past season, he took a bigger step and averaged 22 PPG, and in the postseason was great (24 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 APG).

[bopna]

Lets just put it this way..With both Hayward snd IT I think we have a chance at bringing Lebron snd co. Back to earth.

Lebron toyed with us because he wasnt exactly spent on Defense but. With a scorer like KD in the Finals lebron felt old. And GH will certainly improve more next season so I know there is a good chance we could dethrone the Cavs in the East.