RICKY Rubio wasted no time in helping out his new team in convincing prized free-agent Gordon Hayward to re-sign with the Utah Jazz.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Rubio, who was acquired by the Jazz in a recent trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, cut his vacation short and flew in from Spain to join Utah’s top brass along with some players in meeting with Hayward on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) at the All-Star forward’s home in San Diego.
Present in the meeting that lasted more than three hours were Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey, team president Steve Starks, coach Quin Snyder, ownership trustee Gail Miller along with Utah players Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles.
The meeting with the Jazz is the last in Hayward’s free agency tour, after making stops in Miami on Saturday and Boston on Sunday. Wojnarowski added that Hayward, who will expectedly sign a maximum contract offer, will make his decision Tuesday.
Hayward thrived under Snyder in improving his scoring average by 5.7 points to score 21.9 per game last season. Utah’s pitch for Hayward to stay is to feature him as the center of the offense that will have pass-first point guard Rubio orchestrating the attack along with a solid co-star and defensive anchor in Gobert, according to sources.
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