The NBA season is off to a fast start and now that the October 31 deadline has passed, it appears that Gordon Hayward, Eric Bledsoe and Avery Bradley will become restricted free agents next summer after not being able to agree on contract extensions with their clubs.
According to Pro Basketball Talk and ESPN.com, the Jazz and Hayward were working on a deal and were reportedly close, but things did not get done and now he will be a restricted free agent next summer. The news comes after Utah already signed Derrick Favors to a contract extension worth $47 million over four years and now Hayward is expected to get some offers come next summer. The Jazz and him reportedly were working on a four year deal worth up to $50 million, but the Jazz did not want to go that high.
Hayward and the Jazz were apart on dollars and now all the first round picks from 2010 will be heading into free agency as restricted players if they didn't sign a new extension. John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins ended up with new deals, as did Larry Sanders, Paul George and Quincy Pondexter and now names like Evan Turner, Hayward, Bledsoe, Greg Monroe, Avery Bradley as well as Greivis Vasquez all could be trade bait this season now that they are set to be restricted free agents.
The Jazz are in the middle of a franchise change over, as they allowed Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson to leave in free agency and now Hayward and Favors are the future. The fact that no contract extension happened doesn't mean that Jazz won't fight for Hayward, but it could make things tougher if another team tries to take a run at him. Bledsoe is a solid player as well and he should command attention in free agency.
