Gordon Hayward Talks Heat's Free-Agency Pitch Prior to Signing with Celtics

While he ultimately landed with the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat nearly won over Gordon Hayward when they attempted to sell the 2017 All-Star on signing with them this summer.

Hayward discussed the Heat's pitch on The Woj Pod with ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski (via the Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman).

"After the video, [Heat team president Pat Riley] kind of talked a little bit," he said. "And that was the moment where you kind of do get some chills. And everyone's wearing their ring, too, everybody on the staff was. And so that's the moment where you're like, 'Wow, that's really cool,' an I-want-to-put-on-the-jersey-right-now type feeling."

Hayward also discussed how his agent, Mark Bartelstein, prepared him to receive a convincing pitch from Riley:

"Mark had tried to tell me, after you talk with him, you're going to be like, 'Mark, I'm ready to sign right now.' You do get that vibe from him. He's a great motivator. And we watched some videos, too, of the Heat and their tradition. He definitely makes you feel like you're going to be competing for championships year in and year out."

Hayward's praise for Riley isn't all that surprising since Riley was the architect of the Big Three era in Miami, enticing Chris Bosh and LeBron James to take less money in the pursuit of championships.

At the same time, Hayward's decision to sign with the Celtics illustrates that Riley alone can't close the deal when it comes to marquee free agents.

The Celtics arguably had far more working in their favor in the Hayward sweepstakes. Beyond just reuniting Hayward with his college coach, Brad Stevens, Boston finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference finals.

Granted, the Celtics lost that series convincingly in five games, but that's more than can be said of the Heat, who missed out on the postseason altogether in a tiebreaker with the Chicago Bulls.

The South Beach lifestyle and strong organizational structure in place in Miami are selling points for the Heat. In order for the franchise to once again be a destination for high-profile free agents, though, the Heat will likely need to inch closer to title contention.