Jazz set on keeping Hayward


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SALT LAKE CITY — His shooting percentage has dropped each of the last four years and he’s proven nowhere near able to carry a franchise, and yet Gordon Hayward no doubt will receive a raise in the $10 million range in the next few days.

Indeed, it’s great to be an NBA player.

Hayward is a restricted free agent, meaning the Jazz have the option to match any contract offer he receives. Now that the free agency period has begun, the Jazz forward soon will learn how much his salary will skyrocket.

After being unable to reach a deal before last season, Hayward responded with a somewhat mediocre year. He led the team in scoring at 16.2 points a game while shooting a career-year 41 percent and averaged five rebounds and five assists. Pete Maravich is the only other player in franchise history to average more than 16 points and five rebounds and assists.

For being the best all-around player on the Western Conference’s worst team, Hayward is in line for a huge increase from the $3.4 million he made last season. The Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics, among others, are thought to covet his services.

“He’s a damn good player,” said Jazz radio broadcaster David Locke.

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At what price? Certainly enough to buy a second home in St. George.

The maximum the Jazz could offer is in the range of a staggering $85 million over five years. But unless some team hires Donald Sterling as its new general manager, there’s no way Hayward deserves the best deal possible.

At the same time, he’s worth keeping.

The Jazz have invested four years in Hayward, who has gone from a part-timer as a rookie — averaging 17 minutes a game — to a cornerstone playing 36.4 minutes a game. He’s been featured prominently in the team’s marketing campaign, the kind of person who meshes well with the community.

No way the Jazz can let him walk like they did last summer with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. General manager Dennis Lindsey has said as much, stating he expects Hayward to be with the Jazz for a long time.

The best is yet to come for Hayward, who is expected to improve under the tutelage of new coach Quin Snyder and his staff. Whatever the price, even if the money moves into the ridiculous range, it sounds like the Jazz will meet it.

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“We’re really pleased with Gordon, who he is (and) who he’s become as a player,” said Lindsey. “We think he’s got some unique skills. We think coach Snyder’s system will bring out some of the skills he’s already shown, maybe even to a greater degree.”

Unless Snyder can work miracles, don’t expect Hayward to reach superstar status. While he is good and capable of improving, there’s more to being a franchise player than statistics. For Hayward to take the next step, he needs to improve his on-court demeanor and become more of a player who picks up teammates rather than needing to be picked up when things don’t go his way.

With Hayward expected to remain in the fold as a strong complementary player, the Jazz still need to find a star. Teams with Hall of Fame players contend and win championships.

Assuming continued development, Hayward and Derrick Favors form a good nucleus to making the Jazz competitive again. Management and fans now have to hope that first-round draft choice Dante Exum can be the missing star.

The 6-foot-6 Australian surprisingly slipped to No. 5 on draft night, allowing the Jazz to scoop him up. In a few years we’ll know if all the excitement was worth it.

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