Gay averages the same amount of assist as he does turnovers. He shot a good average in 54 games this season but he still needed 16 shots a game to average 19 points. He's not a terrible ball hog but I think you might be singing a different tune if he had taken shots away from Randolph in the waning minutes of close playoff games. All the more so considering Hollins wouldn't have drawn up those plays to go to him.
See now this is where it gets stupid. We having been force feeding randolph and gasol in the post for 2 seasons now. The sportswriters claim that our feeding the post was a FOUND weapon due to Rudy being down. Go read our blogs from 2 years ago. We were complaining that randolph was getting the ball too much. It is so stupid how literally clueless the media has been toward what the grizzlies do. And i have proof, the grizzlies were number 1 in the pain for 2 years running. Why? because we feed the post, with or without Gay. It's been the formula since Hollins was hired.
Rudy Gay would be a number 1 pick this year. This draft is very weak, and as much as people live in denial that it's a deep draft, the fact teams are willing to trade out of it, shows that GMs dont see any special talent in the draft. Weak draft is weak.
The reason Memphis might make sense in saying no is because it is unclear what the value of the trade exception will be going forward in a new CBA. One would have to expect there is still some value, though, or the Cavs and Raps get even more screwed for what happened last offseason. Because if the current CBA was going to be in place for the next few years, regardless of what "what" thinks, this is a pretty solid deal. the #4 pick probably won't be as god as Gay, but could be a very solid piece, and more importantly a good role piece immediately. Plus, they save money by getting rid of Gay's contract. And don't we always hear how the Grizz need to save money? Plus, they get the trade exception, which could potentially be used to pick up a better supporting piece. The other reason to say no is to hope for a better deal. Still, even if Gay CAN mesh well with the new and improved Grizz in the future, it is still hard to imagine that team winning a title. If that is the ultimate goal, they have to find some other way to allocate their cap resoures between Gay, Randolph and Gasol. Wisely, they shouldn't lose Randolph or Gasol, so Gay seems like the odd duck out.
A players worth is always relative to his contract. In this case Gay is a little overpaid imo. Considering they could get the cap space to resign Gasol with the trade exception and would only be taking on a rookie salary I would do the deal if I was Memphis.
I think that is a big part of the problem. We've never seen Gay play a single playoff game. He's getting paid like a franchise player, but the only time his team ever made the playoffs, they were just as good after he went down with a season ending injury as they were with him in the lineup.
Yeah good post Dragongirl, but I could see why Memphis turns this deal down. Randolph is their workhorse but that gives them a two or three season window before he begins his decline. They're in a "compete now" mode and believe Gay will help them go further in the playoffs during that span. Also adding Gay and Xavier Henry to the SG/SF rotation gives Memphis the perimeter scoring they lacked this postseason. OTOH that doesn't leave much playing time for Battier, who may not get re-signed. But a Allen/Gay/Henry rotation could still be pretty solid, with or without Mayo. Now it would be a different story if the #4 pick in the draft would get them a superstar in the making, but obviously Memphis doesn't.
So much stupid in this thread I don't know where to begin. There isn't a player in this draft I would rather have than Rudy Gay. Not one. This draft is horrible. Kyrie is the #1 pick. He is not even on the same stratosphere with any player drafted in the top 5 of the last 3 drafts in terms of being a NBA prospect.
This is an extremely valid point. As overpaid as Gay is, I still think he's a much better player than anything that could be had at #4. Honestly, with the great success that the Griz had this playoffs, I would rather see what Gay can do with this team and trade him at the deadline if things don't work out. Remember when OJ Mayo was dead weight?
I'm pretty sure the problem here is most of the people that are willing to trade Gay would not argue that he is more talented than anyone in this draft. BUT People believe he is overpaid, so he is not going to be able to live up to his Max Contract value as he is just a 2nd option at best. Even though I am one of the believers than his contract is overpaying him A LOT, it would be nothing short of moronic to trade him. The ONLY player in this draft that could do Memphis any good is Vessley (In the BEST CASE he would become Dirk, worst case he would become one of the many Euro busts (Boki/Tsisvilli for example)). Why would you gamble on that when their window is going to be at most 5 years, Dirk didn't become Dirk for a few years. This team is ready to win now and Gay is the guy worth keeping because of that.
Rudy Gay is not overpaid. He just isn't a bargain. They could have extended him for 5/60 in 2009, which would have been a bargain but as a FA he was going to get multiple MAX offers.
