Jazz will match Gordon Hayward's $63M sheet, but wouldn't be a surprise to see them take full 3 days to notify Hornets, sources tell Yahoo.
https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/487145008475435010
In light of this news, I will say I think the Jazz are doing the right thing in matching the contract. Hayward isn't "worth" the max, of course, but he's an important part of our future, I think. I do understand why so many soured on Hayward this past season, even if I don't agree. There were few good free agents this offseason, and a lot of teams with a ton of capspace, which is a recipe for people getting overpaid. That's the simple reality.
It's not my money, and the Jazz can afford it. So I don't begrudge the choice. In terms of this contract eventually causing us to have to choose between Kanter, Burks, and/or Burke, that was going to happen no matter what. But here's the good news to keep in mind as we watch Exum turn into a star over the next four years -- he'll likely be making far less than he deserves. So on balance, it's all right with me if Hayward makes more than he deserves.
In four years' time, when Hayward is due for a new contract, it will also be the summer that all these young players from this 2014 draft class will be free agents for the first time. The market for free agents will be vastly different, and Hayward, whether he goes or stays, will be due for a massive paycut. There will be a bunch of young potential stars for teams to sign, and fewer teams with the kind of cap-space that everybody had this year.
So if we're contending again, then, and we still want to keep Hayward, there will be strong potential to do so, this time on the kind of contract he's worth, if not at a steep discount determined by simple market forces.
For everyone who complains about the Kirilenko contract, let's remember that it didn't prevent us from signing Boozer, Okur, or from paying D-Will and Millsap, or from acquiring Korver. For a few years we fielded a hell of a team. I don't actually think that contract cost us opportunities, even if AK was massively overpaid.
The Hayward contract won't cost us opportunities, either. And if it turns out that I'm wrong, there will probably be a two year window in which the contract is perfectly tradeable.
I'm okay with all of this. I'm not happy with the money. But I think the Jazz are a better team with Hayward on the floor.