Gordon Hayward will be one of the most sought-after free agents when July 1 arrives this summer, and rumors are already surging about his potential departure from the Utah Jazz. While a strange rumor has surfaced about the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics are the team most connected with Hayward, both for their budding contender status and their head coach’s connection to Hayward. (Brad Stevens coached at Butler when Hayward starred on their 2010 National Championship runners-up squad.)
Gordon Hayward’s kid sparked a silly NBA free agency conspiracy
Hayward’s wife posted an Instagram of their child wearing a shamrock, which happens to be the logo of a certain NBA team.
Given all the extra scrutiny from that, Hayward’s wife Robyn unfortunately didn’t think twice before posting this now-deleted photo to her Instagram.
A green shamrock is, of course, associated with the Celtics, and because the internet is the internet, the post was immediately linked to Gordon Hayward’s free agency. Never mind that it doesn’t make much sense — is Hayward so sure that he’s signing with the Celtics that he and his wife are already buying his children Celtics apparel so they can show pride in their father’s employer? I suppose it could be a gift from the Celtics, but that would be tampering and illegal by the NBA.
Anyway, Robyn Hayward clarified with this post to her Instagram story.
That seems like a reasonable explanation to me, not that NBA free agency has ever been known as “reasonable.” (And to be sure, that’s why we love it.) Let’s meet back here, same place, same time, next time there’s a ridiculous free agency rumor we can freak out about and debunk.
