With the offseason in full swing, the Indiana Pacers are looking to bring in some new talent to freshen up their squad. According to reports, just one of the Pacers’ prime targets is Boston Celtics star Gordon Hayward.
Gordon, who signed a four-year contract with the Celtics worth a total price of $127 million in 2017, has a $32.4 million player option going into the 2020-21 NBA season.
According to Ian Begley of SNY: “Something to keep an eye on once we find out when NBA teams can start making trades: some within the Pacers organization continue to have interest in trading for Celtics’ Gordon Hayward.”
A previous report from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps agreed with this sentiment, further informing that Hayward is likely to exercise his player option this offseason. This belief is largely based on Hayward’s age of 30 years, along with his recent injury history.
Should he exercise the option, not only will he receive a hefty $34 million, but he will also have the choice to audition for another contract next offseason, either with the Celtics or another NBA franchise.
Should Hayward turn down the option in favor of a new deal in free agency, the Pacers might be inclined to make a move for this player.
