A maximum offer sheet from the Charlotte Hornets — a deal worth $63 million over the next four years — wasn’t enough to pry Gordon Hayward away from the team that drafted him, as the Jazz on Saturday exercised their option to match the deal.
For months, Jazz management has expressed an interest in retaining Hayward, with general manager Dennis Lindsey going as far as saying he would like to see the 24-year-old swingman retire in a Jazz jersey. And the franchise made good on that Saturday.