Gordon Hayward Opens Up About Leaving Celtics, Shares Excitement Over Joining Hornets

BOSTON (CBS) — The Celtics gave their side of the Gordon Hayward divorce on Tuesday morning. Hayward gave his take on Tuesday afternoon. And they both sounded very much alike. The bottom line is that Hayward wanted a bigger role, which was something the Celtics could no longer offer him So now he is in Charlotte, buzzing about being a member of the Hornets. Hayward said that opting out of his $34.2 million option and leaving Boston was a tough decision, but there was no shortage of suitors for him on the open market. He landed in Charlotte because he believes the Hornets give him the best chance to maximize his potential as he enters what he sees as the prime of his career. “It was obviously a tough decision. There’s no doubt about it,” Hayward told reporters on Tuesday. “It was a tough decision to leave Boston and a place where we were a really good team and right there, kind of on the cusp of it. But I think it was something [in Charlotte] where I wanted to kind of maximize my potential to help our team win. I think the opportunity and the challenge to do that was more and more enticing as I kept talking with these guys.” The Hornets have been high on Hayward since 2014, when they sent a four-year, $63 million offer sheet to the then-Utah Jazz restricted free agent. Hayward went back to Utah in 2014, but when talking with the Hornets, he remembered how much Michael Jordan wanted him six years ago. Jordan made an even stronger push this offseason,...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Celtics NBA Sports Syndicated Sports Boston Celtics Charlotte Hornets Gordon Hayward Sports News Source Type: news