Brad Stevens has made it clear: Gordon Hayward will not be playing again this season. 

With each new report of the tremendous progress Hayward was making in his recovery from the awful ankle injury he suffered just a few minutes into his debut with the Boston Celtics, fans in Boston have been looking for any sign that Hayward may make a shocking return. 

But all along, the Celtics, whether it was Stevens, GM Danny Ainge, or anyone else in the front office, have tried to lower the expectations, saying they didn't expect Hayward to return. Now, Stevens is not leaving any room for hope. Via ESPN:

"He's not playing this year. I don't know what else to say," said Stevens, who has fielded an increased amount of questions about Hayward's progress in recent weeks. 

"He's progressing, yes. He did another alter-G [treadmill] workout this morning," said Stevens. "He's up to 60 percent of his weight on the alter-G. If you've ever run on the alter-G, that feels like you're flying without your legs touching the ground. It's great.

"And I think the videos are great, too. Because, like, it continues to show the progress. Sometimes when you're in the midst of that long rehab, you don't feel the progress of the day-to-day the way now we all might see a video or somebody that hasn't seen him may seen a video and say, 'Man, he really is getting better.' But he's a super long way away from even being on 1-on-0 workout where he's cutting."

The latest bout of optimism was a video released by the Player's Tribune that showed Hayward going through some on-court drills.

While Stevens' declaration may disappoint some people in Boston, it shouldn't be surprising given the nature of Hayward's injury. The forward making a return this season was always too much to ask.