Utah Jazz: 5 Potential SF Replacements if Hayward Leaves as Free Agent

Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay started his career with the Memphis Grizzlies and quickly became a key member of their team starting with his second season in 2007 all the way up until he was traded in 2013, averaging right around 20 points per game during that six-season stretch.

He then found himself in Toronto for just a brief 51-game stint before being moved to a team that some have referred to as being in basketball purgatory, the Sacramento Kings.

Yet, due to the fact that the Kings have never made the playoffs with Gay on their roster (although they are in eighth place currently this season), Gay hasn’t really received a lot of the credit he deserves. Despite having a bad reputation as a less than willing passer, there’s no denying that Gay has been a phenomenal scorer.

He’s averaged 19.2 points in his time with the Kings and while he isn’t as good of a deep-ball shooter, he’s actually more efficient from the field over his career than Hayward.

Why it Would Work

The Kings are long overdue for some change. While they’ve shuffled coaches repeatedly, Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins have stayed consistent and for the most part haven’t worked out. Thus it comes as no surprise that Gay informed the team earlier in the year that he plans to use his player option for next season and opt out of the final year of his contract to hit free agency at the same time as Hayward.

While his biggest criticism has been his supposed unwillingness to pass the ball (and to be quite honest his low career assist numbers back that up), he most certainly can score the basketball and would definitely make up for the loss of Hayward’s points per game.

He would also have the opportunity to be surrounded by a squad that has been a cohesive group with a team-first mentality and this could very well rub off on him, making him a dangerous scoring weapon alongside the likes of George Hill, Rodney Hood and Rudy Gobert.

He’d also bring veteran leadership and playoff experience himself as he was a key piece of Memphis’ playoff performances in 2011 and 2012.

Finally, if Sacramento doesn’t move him before the end of the season, the Jazz organization wouldn’t have to trade anyone to get him, but would simply have to convince Gay that Utah was the right fit for him. If Hayward leaves a hole at the small forward position and Gay is an available free agent, it’s more than likely that the Jazz would give him a call.

Wooing free agents hasn’t always been an easy task for the Jazz, but a player looking to escape a culture like that of the Kings could very well be interested and intrigued at the prospect of joining an up-and-coming team like the Jazz who are showing loud and clear this season that their goal is to win.

Why It Wouldn’t Work

Perhaps the first reason why Gay won’t likely end up with the Jazz is due to the very fact that Sacramento already knows that he likely will seek to test free agency at the end of the year. In an attempt to get some kind of value out of him, it’s very possible that the Kings will trade him before the deadline rather than let him walk at the end of the year for nothing.

However, if the Kings are still in the playoff picture as we near the trade deadline, it’s quite possible that they decide to risk it and hold onto him. Also, even if he is traded this season, while he could very well decide to sign on long term with his new team, Gay also seems pretty determined to test free agency, so he could still be a potential Jazz free agent target regardless of where he ends up by the trade deadline.

In terms of his fit as a player and a replacement for Hayward, one problem is that Gay is four years older and has largely already hit his ceiling. His experience would be nice but it would also be a shame to lose out on the untapped potential of a guy like Hayward or some of the others on this list.

Finally, there are certainly questions about Gay’s attitude. Not only does his 2.3-assist mark over his career raise concern about his value as a teammate, but the open dissatisfaction he’s expressed at Sacramento and the fact that he bounced quickly from Memphis to Toronto then Toronto to Sacramento, leaving his former teams better than they were when he was there is a huge red flag.

Thus, although Gay would likely do a respectable job of filling the void left by Hayward and could potentially change his style as part of such a tight-knit group, there’s also a few warning signs that he may not actually be the most ideal fit.