After 14 seasons in the NBA at the age of 34, Hayward announced his retirement from the game of basketball via his X account Thursday.
After spending two years at Butler under head coach Brad Stevens, which is a campaign that included an impressive trip to the National Championship in 2010, Hayward was selected ninth overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Jazz. The versatile forward spent his first seven seasons in the NBA with Utah and while Hayward struggled as a rookie, he drastically improved each year and became an All-Star in his seventh and last season with the Jazz. That year, which without question will go down as Hayward’s best season in the NBA, he averaged a career-high 21.7 PPG and led the Jazz to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champion Warriors. Hayward was terrific in Utah’s run to the second round that year, leading the Jazz with 24.1 PPG, including a 26-point performance in the Jazz’s Game 7 road win over the Clippers in the first round.
After this impressive season, Hayward declined the player option of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career and signed a maximum contract with the Celtics. Hayward’s arrival in Boston created massive hype for the storied franchise, but unfortunately, Hayward’s tenure with the Celtics began with him breaking his leg in the opening moments of the regular season opening game. Hayward missed the entire season and never truly reached his All-Star potential in his three years in Boston. Hayward then joined the Hornets in 2020 and while the club never reached the postseason during his four years in Charlotte, Hayward had a great first season with the Hornets, averaging 19.6 PPG, which will finish as the second-best average of his career.
Hayward’s numbers began to decline after this campaign and his NBA career concluded with him being traded to the Thunder this past season and playing a minimal bench role for the team that advanced to the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Hayward became an unrestricted free agent this summer and was expected to draw interest from contending teams, but instead will be stepping away from the game. In his 14 years in the NBA, Hayward will finish with a hefty career earnings $270 million.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
