Moving On: Hayward’s Out, Lindsey’s Back to Work

Andrew D. Bernstein via utahjazz.com

At 5:48 p.m. on Tuesday, Gordon Hayward created enough salt among the online Jazz community to line margarita glasses stretching from the Stockton and Malone statues to Fenway Park.

After what appeared to be a premature leakage of the news that Hayward was Boston-bound and a subsequent retraction, Jazz fans waited for what felt like eons. Countless grilled meats across the greater Salt Lake area grew cold as they were ignored in favor of relentlessly updated electronic devices. Finally, the now-infamous Players Tribune soliloquy was posted, confirming Jazz fans’ worst fears.

It’s an oft-repeated tale: the rare, just-reaching-his-prime talent plucked from the small market where he was nurtured, coached and subsequently blossomed, nabbed by a big-city team that can seemingly acquire all-stars at will. Despite Adam Silver’s desire for parity, Hayward’s departure following Kevin Durant bolting OKC for the greener pastures of the Bay Area gives plenty of ammunition to the argument that small-market teams are at a marked disadvantage when it comes to competing for titles.

This brutal, salt-in-the-wound reiteration of just how frustrating it can be to support a small-market team combined with what many feel was an unnecessarily drawn out and poorly handled sayonara from Hayward to set Jazz Twitter ablaze with a smorgasbord of negative emotions ranging from depression to seething rage.

It’s understandable. Utah had just gotten back to the playoffs for the first-time in four years. Not only that, but they dispatched the perennially touted (if also perpetually underachieving) Clippers team, triumphing in a Game 7 at the Staples Center. Optimism was arguably at its highest point since the star trio of Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur took the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs ten years ago.

And the delay? Well that just transformed what would’ve been a mere dumpster fire for Jazz fans to a toxic waste dump inferno. Hayward apparently made the decision to draw out Jazz fans’ suffering for several extra hours to finish a blog post that was widely criticized as pandering and disingenuous. It was like getting a rejection letter for the job of your dreams, but having to download it over dial-up internet.

The blowback was swift and severe. We’ve already had our first jersey-burning video in circulation, and the general weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth has been widespread and has continued through the time of this writing. (One silver lining of Hayward leaving was Rudy Gobert’s incredible Instagram post, which only served to further cement his universally-loved status in Utah.) The sympathy has also been pouring in from everyone from fans of other small-market teams such as Oklahoma City and Milwaukee to TNT’s David Aldridge, who summed up the frustrations of small-market teams nicely.

Nothing against the Cs/Hayward. Just feel for Jazz & fans; they built first-rate org from scratch & were just starting to reap the rewards.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 5, 2017

While the validation is nice, it does little to take the sting out of Hayward’s abrupt and yet excruciatingly drawn-out departure.

Utah is down, to be sure. But out? Far from it, actually.

While it’s easy to be pessimistic about a Jazz future sans Hayward, the quality of the remaining roster, front office, and ownership shouldn’t be overlooked. Amid the vociferous backlash against Hayward, Jazz ownership/management once again handled the departure with class, simply thanking Gordon for his time with the Jazz and wishing him well in the future.

From media reports, Dennis Lindsey wasted no time in getting back to work. Hours after the official announcement was at last made, the Jazz had already reportedly started working on finding Hayward’s replacement. Names such as Otto Porter and Rudy Gay were connected to Utah. Yes, Porter has signed an offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets, and yes, the Wizards are virtually guaranteed to match any max offer thrown his way, but the willingness to pursue a player who was all but certain to get a max offer sheet is a crystal-clear indicator that Lindsey and the Jazz are still willing to make major moves.

One potential immediate improvement of the roster was quickly overshadowed by Hayward’s departure. Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell electrified the Jazz Summer League crowd Monday night, leading all scorers with 23 points and also dishing out 5 assists in Utah’s victory over the Spurs. Mitchell’s pre-game dunks also had the Huntsman Center crowd swooning like a collective Blanche Deveraux over a wealthy and handsome new gentleman caller.

Losing Hayward is tough, there’s no doubt. Ultimately, he made what he felt was the best decision for himself and his family, albeit in a way that was tone deaf at best. It’s a setback, and a considerable one, but it’s not crippling. One thing remains clear.

The Jazz made Gordon Hayward. Gordon Hayward didn’t make the Jazz. With the complement of still-impressive assets, second-to-none leadership and proclivity to aggressively yet intelligently make moves, there’s still plenty of reason to get excited for the 2017-18 Jazz.

They’re in good hands.