This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In Miami, there was a banner. In Boston, there was the Fenway Park Jumbotron.
Gordon Hayward's free agency tour continued Sunday, with a trip to Beantown to meet with Brad Stevens, Danny Ainge and the Celtics. The second stop of his weekend included recruiting pitch help from the Boston Red Sox, with the sign at Fenway reading "Welcome to Boston, Gordon and Robyn". It included a photo with Hayward and his old coach at the airport. It was a lavish welcome.
— Chris Durbin (@_chrisdurbin) July 2, 2017
The Hayward's then met with Celtics brass.
The pitch from Boston to Hayward is simple: Play for the Celtics and be a part of a core that's ready to win now, with the assets to improve around him for the future.
Hayward would supply the Celtics with a do-everything small forward, who can score and defend. He's someone who can at the very least give Cleveland superstar LeBron James pause. And the Celtics have a bundle of draft picks in the next few years, which they can use to significantly upgrade the roster.
More importantly, Boston's road to deep playoff runs is easier than Utah's. The Eastern Conference has been weakened with stars Paul George and Jimmy Butler being traded to the Western Conference. The argument can be made that the Celtics could advance to the Eastern Conference Finals on a perennial basis.
The Jazz will have their shot to answer that on Monday, when the two sides meet in San Diego. General Manager Dennis Lindsey, coach Quin Snyder and team President Steve Starks will be present at the meeting.
Utah heads into Monday's meeting with momentum. On Friday, the Jazz traded a future first round pick for Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio. The Spanish floor leader, one of the best defending and passing point guards in the NBA, will be Utah's starter next season. He replaces George Hill, who is currently an unrestricted free agent, with interest from the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.
On Saturday, the Jazz finalized a deal with swingman Joe Ingles. That's important to Utah. Ingles was one of the most valuable role players last season for the Jazz, and he's one of Hayward's best friends. He's a guy who can play and guard multiple positions. And he emerged last season as one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA.
When the Jazz meet Hayward, they will have definitive answers. The rest of the core is in place, with Hayward representing the final piece. That was the goal for Utah, coming into this weekend.
Still, the Jazz have a lot of work to do, in order to fight off the Celtics and Heat. Both teams are alluring free agent destinations, with good coaching and smart front offices.
And the battle for Hayward's services has spilled over into social media.
Heat center Hassan Whiteside authored a video of himself on a Miami Beach extolling the virtues of living in Florida. Jazz center Rudy Gobert and Boston point guard Isaiah Thomas went back and forth on twitter.
Sources say Hayward wants to make his decision on Tuesday, or Wednesday. He's now the most coveted free agent on the market. Where will the all-star end up?
tjones@sltrib.com
Twitter: @tribjazz