Gordon Hayward
Photo: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks pursued signing Gordon Hayward on a four-year contract, but never got close to the Charlotte Hornets’ $120M offer, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Hayward opted out of a $34.2 million option with the Boston Celtics to pursue a better deal as one of the most coveted free agents of current offseason.

“The Knicks, for the record, were in the Hayward chase throughout. After the Knicks weighed their own trade for Westbrook, they pursued Hayward much harder, with Coach Tom Thibodeau serving as lead admirer. The Knicks eventually decided to increase their offer to four years from two to compete with sign-and-trade interest from Indiana and Charlotte, but the Hornets went to a financial level for Hayward that no rival was willing to match,” Stein wrote.

Maybe the Knicks were lucky the Hornets made a financially humongous deal to the veteran forward, as they preserved its cap space for superstars in the future.

Tom Thibodeau is known for bringing veterans into his teams and maybe Hayward was his idea for quick fix in the Knicks’ young roster this season.

The 2012-13 season was the last time a Knicks team had a winning record and made the playoffs. However, the fans in the Big Apple are hopeful that the franchise will find its way to the postseason under president Leon Rose and head coach Tom Thibodeau.