Gordon Hayward chooses Celtics
Gordon Hayward and Brad Stevens were a couple inches from winning an NCAA championship together at Butler.
They are now reuniting, to try for an NBA title.
The top remaining free agent in this summer’s class is now off the board, with Hayward announcing Tuesday night with an essay on The Players’ Tribune site that he will sign with the Boston Celtics — coached by Stevens — and leave the Utah Jazz after seven seasons.
“This was a life-changing decision for me and my family, and something we took really seriously,” Hayward wrote. “And from the very start of this process, one thing stood out as important: I knew that I wanted the fans and the organizations to hear my decision directly from me.
“After seven years in Utah, I have decided to join the Boston Celtics.”
A person with knowledge of the negotiations said Hayward agreed to a four-year contract, the last of those years being a player option, with a total value of around $128 million.
Heat release Bosh, will retire his number
Chris Bosh’s time with the Miami Heat is officially over.
Weeks after the sides came to a final agreement on how to part ways and more than a year since his last NBA appearance because of blood-clot issues, Bosh was waived by the Heat on Tuesday.
It gives Miami access to $25.3 million in salarycap space for this coming season, which the Heat will use to sign free agents starting Thursday. Bosh still gets that salary, plus $26.8 million for next season, and in theory could continue his career — if another team declares him fit to play.
But at least there’s finally closure on his Miami era, and the Heat announced his No. 1 jersey has been retired.
“Chris changed his life and basketball career when he came to Miami,” Heat President Pat Riley said. “And he changed our lives for the better, in a way we never would have imagined when he joined the Miami Heat. We will forever be indebted to CB for how he changed this team and led us to four trips to the NBA Finals and two NBA championships.
Scott to sign with Wizards
Free-agent forward Mike
Scott has agreed to a $1.7 million, one-year contract with the Washington Wizards.
The deal between the 6-foot-8 Scott and the Wizards was first reported by ESPN. It’s the latest costconscious step taken by Washington to try to improve its group of reserves, which was a weak point last season, Scott Brooks’ first as the team’s coach.
Scott has played his entire five-year NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds and 33.6 percent shooting from 3-point range. Last season, he had a knee injury and played in only 18 games with the Hawks before being traded to the Phoenix Suns, who waived him. He last appeared in a game on Feb. 15.