Prediction: Hayward will be S&T'd to the Cs for Jeff Green next summer.

[pearljammer10]

I take Jeff Green 101 times out of a hundred in that deal... You want to give them a first round pick as well? Holy melon farmers.

[Lucky17]

Holy melon farmers?

[LilRip]

i really doubt utah would let hayward go, and they've pretty much said that despite not coming to terms on a contract that both parties are still interested in signing a deal.

But if a hayward for green deal was on the table, i would probably do it. it's not a move that will vault us to the top (we still need that franchise player to pair with Rondo) but it's a solid move, and it has nothing to do with bringing Stevens and Hayward together.

[ssspence]

i really doubt utah would let hayward go, and they've pretty much said that despite not coming to terms on a contract that both parties are still interested in signing a deal.

But if a hayward for green deal was on the table, i would probably do it. it's not a move that will vault us to the top (we still need that franchise player to pair with Rondo) but it's a solid move, and it has nothing to do with bringing Stevens and Hayward together.

Agreed -- the Jazz are only dealing Hayward if another team is prepared to extend him an offer sheet they're fearful of signing, and therefore decide to trade him for the best return they can get from any team instead of watching him walk to the big spender for nada.

[ssspence]

By the way, Marc Stein backing up my prediction in his article "Eight Fearless Predictions of 2013-14" a few minutes ago....

"5. Gordon Hayward will land a four-year max offer sheet in restricted free agency next July.

The surprise of Extension Season was undoubtedly Utah's decision to let the July market decide the price for its new face of the franchise. Contrary to some of the chatter out there, Hayward was not seeking the four-year max worth in excess of $60 million from Utah during the past month-plus of negotiations, but I'm convinced that's a legit possibility for him in the summer when he becomes a restricted free agent. There are too many Hayward fans in front offices around the league for the former Butler star not to cost the Jazz more later than a deal would have cost them now, given how many teams are projected to have cap space and knowing that the price tags on restricted free agents are always higher than they seemingly should be because the bidders are trying to dissuade the home team from matching.

You'll recall that it's not too far in the past that Eric Gordon landed a four-year max offer sheet in restricted free agency from Phoenix amid serious questions about his knees. The Suns and Boston Celtics -- just to name two franchises known to be big Hayward admirers with Jeff Hornacek and Brad Stevens running their respective benches -- are among those projected to have the cap space to put an uncomfortable offer on the table. Utah, of course, will have plenty of its own cap space to match a max offer if necessary, but doing a deal with Derrick Favors when Hayward might be an even bigger part of Utah’s future ... struck me as curious to say the least."

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein

He doesn't bother down the road I took with Green, but one hand obviously holds the other.