Gordon Hayward bet on himself and won big.
As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hornets have agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract with Hayward. The deal was confirmed by Hayward’s agent Mark Bartelstein.
Shortly after signing his new deal, Hayward sent a heartfelt message to the city of Boston and Celtics fans.
“To the city of Boston, thank you for embracing me as your own these last 3 years. I cannot say thank you enough to all the fans, my teammates, coaches and everyone in the organization I built such strong relationships with,” Hayward wrote. “I know there were some ups and downs, but I will always cherish my experience in Boston. I am forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to wear a Celtics uniform and play in front of the Garden faithful.”
Hayward averaged 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds last season for Boston. Expect him to be a focal point of Charlotte’s offense. Hayward never found his place in Boston behind Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown.
Now with the Hornets, Hayward should be the first option and with a reloaded roster including the recently drafted LaMelo Ball, the Hornets should be competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
