NBA Trade Rumors: Jazz ‘highly unlikely’ to trade Gordon Hayward

Once thought to be on the trading block, Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz is reportedly staying in Salt Lake City.

Just a few years removed from having one of the youngest teams of all time, the Utah Jazz have reportedly been looking at trade options for small forward/shooting guard Gordon Hayward. League sources have told Basketball Insiders that the Jazz aren’t looking to trade Hayward, despite his reported unhappiness in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz have been downplaying the level of Hayward’s displeasure with the franchise to other teams in an attempt to put other teams off the scent, but we’ll see how Hayward really feels in one year when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Hayward is one of the better young players in basketball, and with another year of experience he’ll have several teams beating down his door. If the Jazz trade him now, there’s a bevy of options they could go with. If they wait and Hayward walks, they’ll be out of options and be forced to find someone else in free agency.

If Hayward is unhappy in Utah, he needs to get out, whether the Jazz want him there or not. He’s got enough talent that he’ll definitely have teams looking at him as an option in 2017. Hayward has attempted to get out of Utah before, he signed an offer sheet with the Charlotte Hornets in 2014 that the Jazz matched almost immediately. A wing of Hayward’s size is in short supply in the NBA. Hayward will be picking from a good amount of teams next year unless the Jazz make him happy.

For more NBA Rumors, check out our NBA Hub page.