MIAMI – Gordon Hayward will not be trading in the mountains for the beach, according to an article published Tuesday night in the Players' Tribune.
The Heat's No. 1 free agent target this off-season has decided that he will sign with the Boston Celtics, Miami's biggest rival in the Eastern Conference.
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The top target in the Heat's off-season plans, Hayward, 27, opened his free agent tour with a stop in Miami, where he was wooed by Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra.
But despite the star power in the Heat's pitch, Hayward chose to suit up in Boston alongside his former college coach Brad Stevens and a team loaded with stars ready to challenge Cleveland for conference dominance.
Hayward was named to his first NBA All-Star team in 2017 as he averaged a career-high 21.9 points per game as well as a career best 5.4 rebounds per game.
In his article, Hayward called it "the toughest decision that I've ever had to make in my life."
Hayward credited the winning culture of Boston as a city and the history of the Celtics franchise as influencing his decision.