Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay has had quite the interesting NBA career. He was once considered a key part of the Memphis Grizzlies, then was sent away to the Toronto Raptors only to quickly be traded to the Sacramento Kings. In both instances, he saw his former team enjoy greater success not long after he left.
Part of that has been simply luck of the draw, but it’s also had somewhat to do with Gay’s tendency to not share the ball well. Nevertheless, there’s absolutely no denying that Gay can score. For his career, Gay averages 18.4 points per game and put up 18.7 in 30 games just last season before missing the rest of the year with a ruptured Achilles.
Say what you want about Gay as a player, but that scoring ability is something that the Jazz could desperately use. Of course, Utah should be wary about his perceived faults – injury struggles and selfishness – but it’s likely other teams may be hesitant to throw big money at him as well.
Rudy Gay likely wouldn’t fit all that well alongside Gordon Hayward, but imagine if Utah were able to capitalize on a league-wide hesitance to add him and get Gay at an affordable price to bring off the bench. I know that’s a lot of wishful thinking, but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibilities.
Still, chances are that Gay will demand more money than the Jazz feel comfortable throwing his way, especially for someone who plays the same position as their best player, and that some other desperate team will be willing to add him. I love the scoring that Gay would bring, but Utah will likely look to make a splash with players that aren’t quite so one-dimensional or risky.