Gordon Hayward has ‘significant concerns’ about playing with Isaiah Thomas?

While the idea of Gordon Hayward in a Boston Celtics uniform has been gaining momentum lately, there may still be some major hurdles to overcome.

In an episode of “The Basketball Analogy” podcast on Wednesday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon hinted at some potential reservations Hayward might have about playing with Isaiah Thomas.

“I do hear — this isn’t coming from Hayward’s camp so it’s under the gossip category and not necessarily the reporting category — but I do hear Hayward has significant concerns about playing with Isaiah Thomas,” said MacMahon, per Drew Mackay of FanSided. “In other words, he wants the ball in his hands. He doesn’t just want to watch Isaiah dribble around and do his thing.”

The 27-year-old Hayward is expected to opt out of his contract with the Utah Jazz and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Armed with cap space, an opening on the wing, the prospects of immediate contention, and Hayward’s college coach, Brad Stevens, running the show, the Celtics are picking up steam as a possible destination for the All-Star. But co-existing with Thomas could indeed be a legitimate concern, given that both players led their respective teams in usage rate by a wide margin last season.

MacMahon does stress that the rumblings aren’t coming from Hayward’s camp, so they should probably be taken with a grain of salt. But with other potential landing spots emerging and the possibility still remaining that Hayward simply returns to the Jazz, it’s at least something to consider when weighing Boston’s chances of poaching away the former No. 9 overall pick.