Several members of the Boston Celtics took to social media to express their excitement following Gordon Hayward's decision to leave the Utah Jazz for Beantown.
The seven-year veteran confirmed an ESPN report earlier in the day when he published a Players' Tribune essay titled "Thank you, Utah." Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford and Marcus Smart of the Celtics each reacted accordingly on Twitter.
Thank You, Utah. https://t.co/ICfocNeZfW
— Gordon Hayward (@gordonhayward) July 4, 2017
Let's get to it @gordonhayward ☘️⌚️☘️
— Isaiah Thomas (@Isaiah_Thomas) July 4, 2017
Ahora es! 💪☘️welcome @gordonhayward
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) July 5, 2017
What a celebration on this 4th of July! 🇺🇸☘️@gordonhayward Congrats and welcome!
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) July 5, 2017
Thomas' wife also posted an Instagram video of her husband dancing after the initial report from Chris Haynes. She eventually deleted it when other reports suggested that Hayward had yet to make up his mind.
Isaiah Thomas' wife just posted this. I'm shaking... ☘ pic.twitter.com/V7tbbdHkqV
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) July 4, 2017
Hayward will be reunited with Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, who guided the Indiana native to the national championship game with the Butler Bulldogs in 2010. The university tweeted a photo of the pair during Hayward's college days.
#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/niVqpQcpBE
— Butler Basketball (@ButlerMBB) July 4, 2017
Point guard Ricky Rubio, whom the Jazz recently acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and was present at the team's meeting with Hayward on Monday, sent out a sad-face emoji. Utah's account posted a message of gratitude toward the 27-year-old -- albeit after deleting an original tweet that featured only a photo of center Rudy Gobert.
😔
— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) July 4, 2017
Gordon, thank you from the Miller Family and the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/FEVCNBWMGv
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 5, 2017
Hayward, who also met with the Miami Heat over the weekend, will sign a four-year, $128 million deal with the Celtics. The 6-foot-8 small forward averaged 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 3.5 APG during his first All-Star campaign in 2016-17.
-- Nick Ostiller