Source: Jazz focused on Boston's Jae Crowder in sign-and-trade for Gordon Hayward
1 of 15Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) stuffs the net over LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a M
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) stuffs the net over LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) and LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6). The Utah Jazz lead the Los Angeles Clippers after the third quarter during Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Friday, April 21, 2017.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) stuffs the net over LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a MLeah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) celebrates play with Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) questions the foul called on him. The Utah Jazz leadSteve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) fires a pass during the Utah Jazz versus Cleveland CaSteve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) throws down a slam during the Utah Jazz versus ClevelSteve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) smiles at Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (2Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) before the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Thursday Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) runs past Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng (9) dChris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) and Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) during the game Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune
Gordon Hayward motions after he scored a three-point basket in the first half of a game bSteve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) shoots over Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) drives on New York Knicks center Kyle O'Quinn (9) as Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) gets a high-five from Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) Utah Jazz center RuTrent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) is presented with his All-Star jersey by Greg Miller
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) stuffs the net over LA Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute (12) and LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6). The Utah Jazz lead the Los Angeles Clippers after the third quarter during Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Friday, April 21, 2017.Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) celebrates play with Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6). The Utah Jazz lead the Los Angeles Clippers after the third quarter during Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Friday, April 21, 2017.Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) questions the foul called on him. The Utah Jazz lead the Los Angeles Clippers after the third quarter during Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Friday, April 21, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) fires a pass during the Utah Jazz versus Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Tuesday January 10, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) throws down a slam during the Utah Jazz versus Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Tuesday January 10, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) smiles at Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) after Hayward scored a basket during the Utah Jazz versus Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Tuesday January 10, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) before the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Thursday January 26, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) runs past Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng (9) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Thursday January 26, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) and Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Thursday January 26, 2017.Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune
Gordon Hayward motions after he scored a three-point basket in the first half of a game between the Utah Jazz and the Boston Celtics at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) shoots over Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) during NBA game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Wednesday February 1, 2017.Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) drives on New York Knicks center Kyle O'Quinn (9) as the Utah Jazz host the New York Knicks, NBA basketball in Salt Lake City, Wednesday March 22, 2017.Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) gets a high-five from Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) during the Utah Jazz versus Portland Trailblazers NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Tuesday April 4, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) Utah Jazz forward Joe Johnson (6) and Utah Jazz guard Shelvin Mack (8) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, April 7, 2017. Utah Jazz defeated Minnesota Timberwolves 120-113.Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) is presented with his All-Star jersey by Greg Miller as the Utah Jazz host the Portland Trailblazers, NBA basketball in Salt Lake City, Wednesday February 15, 2017.
By Tony Jones And Aaron Falk The Salt Lake Tribune
· July 6, 2017 7:35 am
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics are in ongoing talks over a sign-and-trade that involves Gordon Hayward getting a max contract and Jae Crowder coming to Utah, league sources told The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday.
Hayward announced his decision to leave Utah for Boston on Tuesday. But before the Celtics can officially sign Hayward to a four-year, $128 million contract, they must clear salary cap space. The Celtics started the process this week when they waived forward Kelly Olynyk, who reportedly has attracted the interest of the Jazz. ESPN reported Wednesday that Boston also has been shopping Marcus Smart, Crowder and Avery Bradley.
League sources told The Tribune that Hayward and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, have agreed to help facilitate a sign-and-trade. Utah would sign Hayward to a new max deal, then send him to Boston in exchange for Crowder, who has just short of three years and $22 million remaining on his contract.
A deal would be a boost for Utah as it watches its star player exit. It would also greatly help the Jazz's salary cap situation.
Without a sign-and-trade or some contract-clearing deal, the most space the Jazz could create in the immediate future is about $11 million, after signing first-round draft picks Donovan Mitchell and Tony Bradley on Wednesday. That could only happen if Utah delays signing Joe Ingles to his new four-year, $52 million contract, leaving much lower cap hold in place for the time being. But because teams are allowed to go over the cap to sign their own players, a sign-and-trade with Boston would allow the Jazz to bring back up to about $30 million in contracts and trade exceptions.
Asked about the possibility on Wednesday night, Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said "we would never comment on any trade speculation."
Crowder was drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2012 NBA draft and then traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He was traded to the Celtics in December of 2014, and has averaged 8.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in his career.
Crowder's father, Corey, played for the Jazz during his NBA career. When Celtics fans chanted Hayward's name during a game in Boston this past season, Crowder was displeased, saying "I didn't like that at all. I think that was a sign of disrespect to me from the fans. That sparked a little fire in me."
