Report: Jazz worried about Heat's pursuit of Hayward

Free agent Gordon Hayward is about to become a very wealthy man. And it may not be as a member of the Utah Jazz or the Boston Celtics, to whom he's been linked for months.

The Miami Heat have now entered the fray as a dark horse candidate to land the 2017-18 All-Star wing, which is worrying the Jazz, per ESPN's Marc Stein.

Miami has had a seat at the table in many free-agent conversations in recent years. With a tropical locale and favorable state income tax that leaves more money in the players' pockets, it wouldn't be a shock to see the organization swing for the fences with a big offseason acquisition.

With Chris Bosh's $25-million cap hold coming off the books because of career-ending health concerns, Pat Riley's front office is going to have room to cut a major deal. That could include Hayward, who averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season.

Heat cornerstones Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic are under contract through at least the 2018-19 season, but key rotation players James Johnson and Dion Waiters are up for new deals. With a degree of financial flexibility, the Heat could conceivably target Hayward and retain one or both of Johnson and Waiters.

Adding Hayward wouldn't make the Heat a legitimate contender, at least as long as a healthy LeBron James is patrolling the Eastern Conference, but it would move the them back toward playoff contention after missing the postseason for just the third time in 14 seasons.