Should the Utah Jazz make a play for Rudy Gay?

It’s official — Rudy Gay will opt out of his current deal and become a free agent this summer. Would the Utah Jazz be wise to make him an offer?

Free agency in the NBA doesn’t officially tip-off until July, but the action has already begun. Multiple players have opted out of their deals for next season in favor of testing the open market. At least one could be an option worth exploring for the Utah Jazz.

Namely, San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay.

Despite having nearly $9 million guaranteed owed to him for the 2018-19 season, Gay will forego year two of the contract he signed just last summer. ESPN’s Chris Haynes broke the story.

Given his recent injury history and the dearth of money out there this summer, it strikes me as a curious move by the 31-year-old. Gay also had career-low numbers in multiple areas. Nevertheless, he’s betting on himself in an attempt to secure either a better team situation or more long-term security.

Last summer, Gay was an oft-mentioned name by myself and other J-Notes staffers as a player who could help make up for the loss of Gordon Hayward‘s production. Now, he could be an option at power forward in the event that the team doesn’t re-up with Derrick Favors.

Whether or not he’d be a good fill-in for Favors or a possible bench big is the (multi) million-dollar question. Especially given the fact that the 2017-18 season marked the first time he was essentially asked to be a full-time power forward.

So, how did Gay perform in his first year spent primarily at the four spot? In a word: OK.

Despite scoring just 11.5 points per contest (his lowest output since his rookie season), Gay was actually second on the Spurs in scoring if you discount Kawhi Leonard‘s nine games. Also — per 36 minutes, his scoring was right on pace with his career numbers. And his field goal percentage of 47.1 equaled a career high.

Really, he was a key cog to the Spurs’ offensive attack. That said, the Spurs actually ranked in the bottom half of the league offensively. And while the Spurs were a net positive with Gay in the game, they were actually one point per 100 possessions better when he sat.

That’s not a huge negative swing, but it’s something.

Moreover, after making progress as a 3-point shooter in his previous three seasons, hitting nearly 36 percent over that span, he took less (2.1 attempts per game) and made less (31.4 percent) in San Antonio.

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To his credit, Gay is still a bucket-getter. He’s also more mobile and a more versatile scorer than Favors. In the end, though, he’s not better. You probably only want him as a back-up. Moreover, he’s less than two years removed from a ruptured left Achilles tendon and missed significant time last season with right heel bursitis.

The Jazz don’t have a great ability to give him the may raise he could be seeking, either.

Ultimately, I’m probably passing on Gay if I’m Utah and the feeling could be mutual. That said, as a versatile, playmaking four to potentially lead the Jazz’s bench brigade, there’s a method to the madness.

It just seems likely that there will be younger, cheaper, more durable choices.