The Utah Jazz were swept in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, putting an end to the franchise's most successful season since 2010.
The positives? They have one of the most talented cores in the NBA, headlined by All-Star swingman Gordon Hayward, shot-blocking extraordinaire Rudy Gobert and veteran two-way point guard George Hill — each of whom took a significant step forward this season.
The negatives? Two of those three players could be out the door come July 1.
Hayward — who has spent all seven of his NBA seasons in Utah — can opt out of his contract and test the unrestricted free-agency waters, while Hill — who was traded to the Jazz in June and subsequently put together the best season of his career — will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent as well.
While Hill, 31, is viewed as a valuable asset as the team looks to take another step forward, it's Hayward, 27, who will garner the majority of Utah's attention over the next couple of months.
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Hayward has evolved into one of the top small forwards in the league and possesses a skill set coveted in today's NBA, so naturally, he'll be sought out by numerous teams willing to throw max money for his services. Not only did he increase his per-game scoring average (21.9) for the seventh straight season, but Hayward tallied career highs in rebounds (5.4 per game), three-pointers made (two per game), true shooting percentage (59.5%) and played a significant role as a member of Utah's third-ranked defense.
The Jazz have a bit of an upper hand, of course, as they're able to offer Hayward a more lucrative five-year deal as opposed to a team like the Boston Celtics (led by Hayward's college coach, Brad Stevens) who can only offer him four years and less money. But will that be enough to lock him in for the long haul?
The Jazz faithful clearly want Hayward to continue his career in Utah. The latest example of this came on Monday night, when Vivint Smart Home Arena echoed his name as he left the floor for the final time.
