5. Gordon Hayward
Career numbers: 15.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 516 GP, 1 NBA All-Star selection (2017).
Gordon Hayward may not be remembered too fondly by Jazz fans, as he chose to sign a big money deal in Boston after the best year of his career, as he put up 22, 5 & 4 in his final season in Salt Lake City before departing. Despite that though, the first seven seasons of his career, all spent in Utah were impressive, as he improved each year, averaging over 19 points per game in the final three years of his deal, it just sucks for Jazz fans that he wasn’t committed to Utah, as he could have made a genuine legacy as a member of the Jazz.
Still, the seven years he did indeed spend in Utah were impressive, as his game grew from one dimensional to an all-around star, and he deserves more recognition for just how good he became before heading to Boston to suffer the heartbreaking injury that derailed a fantastic career. Maybe one day Hayward can come back to the team that he started his NBA career with, but right now, even with little playoff success and a departure that left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, there’s no denying that Hayward was fantastic as a member of the Utah Jazz.