To understand my disdain for Hayward, you have to go back to 2004. That's when Kevin O'Connor made the infamous trade with Phoenix where we took on Tom Gugliotta's salary and received a future first round pick from the New York Knicks. Like many Jazz fans, I was really excited about "the Knicks pick". Many of us pinned all of our hopes on the the Knicks pick. We speculated about it and anticipated it for next 6 years. 6 YEARS!! Finally, 2010 came along and the pick turned into Gordon Hayward. We mostly lamented the fact that we missed out on Paul George for the next few years. Hayward was a decent, but not great player. He improved and became a one-time all-star (as an alternate). So, after 13 years of waiting, we finally had something to show for the Knicks pick, and then he left. I'm fine with losing Gordon Hayward, but not the Knicks pick. I never considered him a #1 option, and even cringed a little at the thought of giving a max deal to a fringe all-star. But I believe (and everything seems to indicate) that: 1) he knew he was leaving at least a year before he announced it and 2) he never told the Jazz. If he had, we could have had something to show for our lost asset. Some of you, with low self-esteem, say that he's just doing what's best for him and his family. That's true, but you can look out for your own best interests and still do right by your current employer that has invested in you. The Jazz and the fans deserved better from him. Hayward is a d*****bag that places himself above the fanbase and the Jazz organization.
