Utah Jazz: 5 Potential SF Replacements if Hayward Leaves as Free Agent

Jae Crowder

Ironically enough, if there is any truth to the rumors behind Gordon Hayward reuniting with his former Butler coach as a member of the Boston Celtics, then there’s a slim chance that Jae Crowder, who was offended by the mere thought of being replaced by Hayward, could be the one who in turn replaces him on the Jazz roster.

Crowder is a versatile player who despite not being exceptional at any one thing, is really good in a lot of different areas. So far this season he’s averaging 13.3 points, five rebounds and 2.3 assists per game all while putting up career highs in field goal and three-point shooting at 48.8 percent and 43 percent, respectively.

While he’s not the scorer that Hayward is, he’s a rugged defender and a hard worker. In a lot of ways, he is similar to former Jazzman DeMarre Carroll in terms of his style of play and approach to the game.

Why it Would Work

If Gordon Hayward does indeed decide to go to the Celtics, then it makes Crowder, who is currently their starting small forward, significantly less valuable. Having to play behind Hayward would not be the best use of his talents or his salary. Therefore, the most likely way that he would end up with the Jazz would be in a sign-and-trade situation.

If Hayward was dead set on signing with the Celtics as an unrestricted free agent, then the Jazz could come to the agreement to sign him originally to offer him the highest possible salary, then trade him to the team of his choosing. This would be beneficial to Hayward because it would net him more money and it would also benefit the Jazz as they wouldn’t lose him for nothing.

And such a sign-and-trade situation would very likely be for Jae Crowder who will still have three years remaining on his contract following this season.

Though in many ways he is a downgrade from Hayward, adding the likes of Crowder wouldn’t necessarily be a tragedy. He’s a great player in his own right and actually a better three-point shooter than Hayward. Also, given that he would be coming from Boston who plays a similar team-oriented style as the Jazz, he could potentially be a great fit.

At the very least he would bring a killer instinct to this Jazz team and his reasonable contract would be enough to allow the organization to spend the money elsewhere to help shore up the team in other areas.

Why It Wouldn’t Work

First of all, if the whole Hayward to Boston thing is pure nonsense and he decides to go anywhere else, then there’s not much of a shot of Utah landing Crowder. Sure, I suppose the Celtics could add some other small forward free agent then hope to simply trade Crowder straight up, but finding an agreement that would then benefit both teams seems hard to come by.

If the sign-and-trade scenario did work out, there’s still the question of how his acquisition affects the Jazz offense. Crowder’s scoring production wouldn’t replace Hayward’s and replacing a former go-to guy with a player who thrives more as a role player could hinder Utah’s offense.

So while Crowder could potentially be the most realistic player of these for the Jazz to acquire if Hayward decides to reunite with his former coach, it wouldn’t likely be an adequate replacement and it’s hard to say whether he would be a long-term fit with the team at all.