Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge thinks small forward Gordon Hayward is going to have a “great” 2019-20 season.
Ainge says Hayward has been in the gym all summer and is excited to see what the swingman is going to bring to the table next season for the Celtics.
Danny Ainge on Hayward's summer: "I think Gordon is going to have a great year. He's putting in as much work as anybody and we get to see it. I mean, he's here a lot. I'm very excited for Gordon's upcoming year."
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) June 24, 2019
The Celtics might have to rely on Hayward a lot next season. Point guard Kyrie Irving and center Al Horford are expected to leave the team this summer in free agency.
This past season, Hayward averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 83.4 percent from the free-throw line. The 29-year-old played in 72 games during the regular season. Hayward was unable to regain his All-Star form after suffering that gruesome ankle injury on opening night in 2017-18, but the hope in Boston is that he'll be much better in 2019-20 after another year of recovery.
What else is Ainge supposed to say here? The Celtics will pay Hayward $32,700,690 next season. The organization has to show support for him even if the rest of the outside world has already given up on Hayward. There have been a few reports stating that some of the players in Boston were upset with how Celtics head coach Brad Stevens “babied” Hayward this past season.
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