Rumor Suggests Gordon Hayward Wants to Return to Jazz

Could the former Jazz All-Star return to Utah?

The rumor mill has been full steam ahead with the Donovan Mitchell saga, but why stop there?

ESPN Radio personality Spence Checketts divulged some intel on ex-Utah Jazz man Gordon Hayward on his daily radio show The Drive.

“I’ve always been of the assumption that Gordon and Robyn Hayward just wanted to leave, they wanted to get out, but I was with some of their friends, who they became friendly with not too long ago, who told me they would actually would like to come back here.”

Has the Hayward ship sailed?

I think it’s safe to say that Jazz Nation would be a divided group on this issue.

On one hand, it has been nine years since Hayward left the Jazz at the altar. The former All-Star can still produce on the court, and still has a portion of the fanbase that would stick by him through thick and thin. Also, the Jazz are under new management, which would make the transition easier for both parties involved.

There’s another part of Jazz Nation that remembers refreshing their Twitter feeds every five minutes, only to be let down by Hayward’s decision to leave for greener pastures. It was a tough day, and Jazz fans remember exactly what they were doing that Fourth of July when the news broke. Hayward suiting up in a Jazz uniform again just feels strange.

The Charlotte Hornets have been mentioned in the rumor mill as a possible suitor in a Mitchell exchange, and Hayward’s salary would help facilitate that.

Is it plausible that the Jazz could acquire Hayward in an attempt to retool around Mitchell? If Charlotte was motivated to get out from under Hayward’s deal, the Jazz have the expiring contracts to accommodate that desire.

It may be a lot of speculation, but it does make for a great water cooler discussion at the office. 

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