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The Utah Jazz may have no immediate intentions of trading Gordon Hayward, but a handful of teams could be interested in prying out the 26-year-old from the Salt Lake City.
The Jazz have denied any of the rumored trade talks surrounding Hayward after reports claimed that the small forward is unhappy with in Utah and wants to be traded. With the Jazz forming an intriguing roster for the 2016-2017 regular season, it seems unlikely they move Hayward this offseason.
However, teams should still keep in check of Hayward's status in Utah, especially if things do not turn out well for the Jazz this season. While there are no confirmed teams interested in dealing for Hayward yet, here are three rivals that should trade for him.
Sacramento Kings
It is no secret the Kings are one of the teams actively exploring the trade market, with Rudy Gay expressing his frustrations over Sacramento. However, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders believe it would be difficult to find a team that would be open to take Gay for a one-year rental.
Trading Hayward to the Kings for Gay may not be the best option for the Jazz, but a deal that would include Ben McLemore could be a good start for trade talks. In a trade scenario approved by ESPN's trade machine, the Kings would send Gay and McLemore to the Jazz for Hayward and Dante Exum.
The Jazz are already stacked with young talents at the shooting guard and wing position, but most players in those spots hardly contribute consistently. Bringing in Gay and McLemore should give the Jazz consistent scorers off the bench and would give the team more depth at the said positions.
The Kings, on the other hand, gets a talented wing in Hayward and a promising point guard in Exum, both of which are perfect pieces to pair with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. Acquiring Hayward and Exum should kick start the Kings' a better campaign for the Kings this season and gives them a better chance of keeping Cousins happy in their fold.
Atlanta Hawks
The signing of Dwight Howard this summer should keep the Hawks afloat in the East, but Al Horford's absence means the Hawks have a hole to fill in terms of scoring outputs. Hayward, who averaged 19.7 points per game for the Jazz last season, should instantly fill that void for the Hawks, although that could mean parting ways with Paul Millsap, who has been in the heat of trade talks in the past few weeks.
Millsap should give the Jazz a formidable frontcourt of versatile big men, who can be of use in many ways. Millsap, who averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for the Hawks last season, may come up as a second scoring option for the Jazz, but his ability to defend multiple positions should make him a key player in their roster.
With Millsap seemingly available, the Jazz could send Hayward and Exum to the Hawks for an All-Star veteran, a trade which also works on ESPN's trade machine.
Cleveland Cavaliers
If there is any team that needs to trade for a player like Hayward, it would probably be the Cavs.
Sure, the Cavs can still be a tough team to beat this season as long as their starting core led by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving is healthy to play all-season long. But Cleveland needs to catch-up against powerhouses like the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs to keep any of their back-to-back title hopes alive.
A potential deal involving Kevin Love should be an enticing return for the Jazz in exchange of Hayward and another tradable asset.
Trading for Hayward would not only give the Cavs another reliable scorer, but also an all-around player who can stuff up stat sheets at any given night. Unlike Love, Hayward won't be limited to becoming a spot-up shooter if played alongside James and Irving. Haywards' ability to slice through the defense and make plays for teammates should fit perfectly with the Cavs.
Meanwhile, Love would provide the Jazz another offensive threat who could operate inside and outside the paint. Love's outside shooting should help even more in spacing the floor for the Jazz big men, and his defensive inefficiency should not be an issue if paired with Rudy Gobert.
Love could be available mid-season, and if the Jazz find it intriguing to acquire the All-Star forward, Hayward could be their trump card to make a blockbuster deal happen.
