Paul George, Gordon Hayward Reportedly Pursued by Celtics

After leading the Eastern Conference with 53 wins last season, the Boston Celtics are reportedly going to make an aggressive play with the hopes of adding Gordon Hayward and Paul George. 

On Tuesday, the Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Celtics are attempting to land Hayward and George, noting the team would need Hayward to sign in free agency first before making the trade offer to the Indiana Pacers for George.            

Wojnarowski did note there's one big snag in Boston's plan when it comes to a potential deal for George, as the Pacers "may be unwilling to wait until the start of July free agency" when the Celtics could be ready to move. 

The C's have long been connected to Hayward as a free agent. Boston fans cheered the All-Star forward during a January game against the Utah Jazz. He played for Celtics head coach Brad Stevens at Butler from 2008-10. 

George has been heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, though Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported talks between the Lakers and Pacers died down before the 2017 NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York, last Thursday.

The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time since 2012 and were eliminated in five games by the Cleveland Cavaliers.