Utah Jazz pariah Gordon Hayward has recently been going on a media tour, talking about Bam Adebayo's historic(?) performance and reflecting on his NBA career. Recently, he reflected on his tragic career-altering injury in his very first game with the Boston Celtics, and what it was like to see how well they played without him.
In an exclusive interview with CLNS Media's Noa Dalzell, Hayward discussed how hard it was for him when he got hurt, adding that he was coming off his best year as a pro with the Jazz before that fateful night happened.
Asked Gordon Hayward about what it was like to be sidelined and see the Celtics have so much success during Jayson Tatum’s rookie season:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 14, 2026
“It's tough. It's really tough, one of the toughest two years of my career. For me, I'm coming off the best year that I've ever had in the… https://t.co/Jy41jOu5Vo pic.twitter.com/pMqEokylTS
People forget how good Hayward was in his last year with the Jazz, except for, well, Jazz fans. That played a part in why his departure stung as much as it did and why it still stings to this day. With what happened next, it's hard not to wonder about what Hayward's legacy in Utah would have been if he had stayed, and more importantly, where Utah would be if he had stuck around.
Basketball's not played in a vacuum, but adding Hayward to a team that had Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Ricky Rubio, Joe Ingles, and Derrick Favors among others could have brought the Jazz to a whole new level. They also had Joe Johnson's expiring contract to dangle for reinforcements.
Hayward sticking around probably would have interfered with Mitchell's electric rookie season, but the former's passing abilities would have helped the two former Jazz stars mesh well.
Would Hayward have become a Jazz all-timer?
Hayward was 27 when he left. It's around that time that players who play in the All-Star Game have entered their prime. He not only made the All-Star team but also did so in a cutthroat Western Conference, which isn't easy, and anyone who watched that season knew he earned it.
If he made more in Utah, combined with the team reaching a whole new level with Mitchell, there's no telling how much the Jazz's history would be in the late 2010s and early 2020s. For his sake, maybe he would have made a case strong enough to get his name up in the rafters.,
More importantly, if the Jazz had been playing at the level of a contender from the start, maybe Mitchell and Gobert would have stayed for the long haul. Hayward's departure stung Utah both in the short and long term. Sure, they did just fine after he left, but that has effectively overshadowed the even better future he and they would have had had he stayed.