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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz season ended in somewhat predictable fashion: A mostly harmless sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Warriors feature the past two MVP winners in Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, the defensive player of the year favorite in Draymond Green, and one of the best shooters in NBA history in Klay Thompson.
After beating the Jazz Monday night, they’ve improved to 8-0 in the postseason and are awaiting the winner of Houston and San Antonio.
The sweep signaled a relatively painless end to an otherwise tremendous season for the Jazz. The Jazz finished with 51 regular season wins, a stunning first-round series victory over the higher-seeded Los Angeles Clippers and saw vast improvement within their roster.
Perhaps, most surprisingly, was the continued growth of the face of the franchise: Gordon Hayward.
Hayward, now in his seventh season, made his first all-star appearance, increased his scoring average for an unheard of seventh consecutive season, and appears to be in the running for a spot on one of the All-NBA teams.
Previous to this season, Hayward was one of the NBA’s most underrated players. Today, he’s one of the best.
More impressive than Hayward’s growth in the regular season was his jump in the postseason, leading the Jazz over the Clippers over a seven-game series. Excluding Game 4, in which Hayward played just 9 minutes due to food poisoning, the Jazz star upped his season averages in points (27.2), rebounds (8.2) and every shooting percentage.
With the Clippers able to assign specific defenses designed to limit Hayward’s effectiveness, he rose above his regular standard of excellence to something fans had yet to see from him. That included a 40-point outing in Game 3 against the Clippers, buoyed by a 21-point first quarter, a franchise record for points in any postseason quarter.
Against the Warriors, though, his percentages dipped; he averaged 24.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Star numbers against perhaps the most talented team in NBA history, again, focused on limiting his ability.
Hayward becomes an unrestricted free-agent on July 1, free to sign with NBA teams he chooses ahead of next season. His suitors will be numerous, with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat emerging as early favorites to compete with the Jazz.
The Jazz should be the favorites to retain Hayward, as they are able to offer him an additional year on his contract, potentially guaranteeing him an additional $40 million dollars that no other team can promise.
Regardless of whether Hayward feels his career will allow him to sign another max contract for the next four seasons from now, $40 million guaranteed will be hard to say no to. If Hayward were to make one of the All-NBA teams, through some creative maneuvering, the Jazz could essentially give him a six-year, $236 million contract, more than $100 million more guaranteed than any competing franchise, which would be a huge bargaining chip for the Jazz.
Hayward’s history with the Jazz stretches long before he played his first game in Utah. He was drafted by the Jazz with the ninth pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, a pick they acquired from the Phoenix Suns for taking on the contract of Tom Gugliotta in 2004. The Suns acquired the pick in a trade with the New York Knicks earlier in the year. That season was the first without Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone and the unprotected draft pick marked a beacon of hope for the future of the Jazz.
The Jazz decision to draft Hayward drew the ire of many around the NBA (myself included), forcing then Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor to request that fans check back on Hayward “in two years.”
Seven years later, Jazz fans are paying cash, out of pocket to campaign for Hayward’s return; money they’ll be all-too-happy to lose if Hayward is in a Jazz uniform next season.
Losing Hayward would be near catastrophic for a team that had hoped to have finished their rebuilding process with a playoff run this season. Without Hayward, the Jazz would likely struggle to compete for a playoff spot in 2018. Only time will tell if the Jazz waited too long to surround Hayward with competent veteran pieces capable of pushing the Jazz toward playoff competitiveness.
If Hayward were to leave, though fans would be disappointed, his run in a Jazz uniform has placed his name among the greats in franchise history. His improvement over the past seven seasons has been historic, and his recent playoff performance will serve as a reminder of his commitment to excellence as a member of the Jazz.
