Grizzlies Expected To Shop Rudy Gay

TUESDAY, 6:47pm: Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio confirms that "talk around the league" indicates the Grizzlies are shopping Rudy Gay. According to Amico, Memphis seems to be seeking a lottery pick in return.

"He won't be an easy move," one team executive told Amico. "It's hard to imagine them getting back what they want for him, based on what I'm hearing."

MONDAY, 4:41pm: Rudy Gay is two years removed from signing a lucrative five-year deal with the Grizzlies, and for the second straight offseason, he will likely be the subject of trade rumors. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports that league sources expect the Grizzlies to shop Gay this summer. If the right offer arises, the 25-year-old could be moved within the next few months.

When I examined O.J. Mayo's free agent stock last month, I pointed out that Gay, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol occupy enough of Memphis' cap space that it will be extremely difficult for the team to retain its free agents this summer without exceeding the luxury tax threshold. In addition to Mayo, Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur are other Grizzlies eligible for restricted free agency.

Gay has about $53.7MM remaining on his contract, which includes two guaranteed seasons and a player option for 2014/15, so moving him would allow the Grizzlies to regain some cap flexibility. According to Kennedy, the Warriors, Raptors, Nets, and Magic are among the teams expected to have interest in Gay if he were available. The Raptors and Nets should have cap space to work with this summer, but for over-the-cap teams like the Warriors and Magic, significant salary would likely have to be sent to Memphis to facilitate a deal.

—–

View Comments (7)