Boston Celtics Forward Gordon Hayward is currently under a shoe deal with Nike until October. According to Nick DePaula of ESPN.com, once Hayward becomes a free agent, he will have a strong contingent of shoe companies after him.

Hayward spent all but one game of last season injured but with the former Utah Jazz star expected to be such a huge part of the Celtics success going forward, he is going to be a hot commodity. According to DePaula one of the big players for Hayward will be New Balance, who is trying to get back into the basketball shoe game.

One company with strong interest in Hayward is New Balance, which would look to re-launch its dormant basketball category with the Celtics star. The company's commitment to re-engage in hoops isn't entirely a secret, as it recently partnered with the Celtics on the team's new 70,000-square-foot Auerbach Center, the franchise's new state-of-the-art training facility.

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New Balance's headquarters is in Boston but they haven't been a part of the basketball market much as of late. On their official website, New Balance doesn't even have a section for basketball shoes. If Hayward were to sign with the company that would all change.

DePaula also mentions the Chinese brand Anta as a company who could also make a run at Hayward. Anta at one point had Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett signed to their band while they were apart of the Celtics, so signing another player who plays in TD Garden could make sense.

Expect this battle to heat up pretty soon as we get closer and closer to Hayward's free agent shoe date.