The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Five free agent options at small forward

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 27: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder controls the ball in from of Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in the first half during Game Six of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 27, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 27: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder controls the ball in from of Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in the first half during Game Six of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 27, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO,TX – APRIL 22 : Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs shares a moment with LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs (L) during timeout in the game against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on April 22 , 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO,TX – APRIL 22 : Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs shares a moment with LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the San Antonio Spurs (L) during timeout in the game against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on April 22 , 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

Rudy Gay

After opting out of the final year of his contract with the San Antonio Spurs, Rudy Gay will officially hit the ranks of unrestricted free agency. He didn’t have an overly impressive season this past year in San Antonio, but much like Trevor Ariza, he’s an experienced vet who, at the right price, could bring some nice tools to the Jazz.

Gay has primarily played at the three-spot in the past, but with the Spurs he spent most of his time as a four. Depending on the opponents Utah faces and the types of lineups they want to employ, this could be a highly desirable skill. Rudy Gay’s scoring took a big dip as primarily a reserve player with the Spurs, but he’s averaged 17.9 points per game over his career, and has logged several seasons breaking the 20-point per game mark.

In other words, Gay can score, and that scoring aptitude could very well help bolster a Jazz offense that at times went stagnant. If plugged in effectively to Utah’s offense, he could very well be a nice scoring threat that added dynamism to either the first or second unit.

The downside to Gay is that he’s not all that efficient. He shot above his career marks from the field last season at 47.1 percent, but was well below his marks from deep as he shot just 31.4 percent from behind the arc. He’s also not that great of a passer and has a reputation of being a ball-stopper. In other words, his scoring could be nice, but his style might not quite be a fit.

His price is somewhat in question, too. He opted out of nearly $9 million guaranteed for 2018-19. Presumably his reasoning for doing so would be to seek more money elsewhere. Then again, it’s also feasible that he’d be willing to take a similar annual amount, but for a bit more long-term security. Considering how tight the market is going to be this summer, I’d hope his thinking was more along the lines of the latter.

But even if he could be had for Mid-Level Exception money, the Jazz would have to weigh carefully if an aging player who has a bit of a spotty injury history would be worth the long-term commitment.

I really like Gay as a scorer and a potentially versatile 3-4 combo. However, given his lack of efficiency and questions about his age, health and cost, I don’t know that he will ultimately be one of the best options for the Jazz.

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