While Rudy Gay has been the subject of trade speculation throughout the offseason, given his apparent discontent with his situation in Sacramento, a Tuesday report provided the most concrete update yet on potential trade talks involving Gay. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Kings and Heat have discussed a potential deal that would send Gay to Miami along with Darren Collison, with Goran Dragic heading to Sacramento.
While such a deal has been discussed, it’s believed to be in the “kicking the tires” stage, with nothing imminent. With that in mind, here’s the latest on Gay and the trade rumors surrounding him:
- Asked about the latest trade whispers, Gay downplayed the talk, as James Ham of CSN Bay Area details. “I’m in the same place I was earlier in the day, I’m in Sacramento,” Gay said. “It is what it is, man, it’s the NBA, it happens. Rumors are going to happen and you’ve just got to go out there and play basketball.”
- According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, both he and fellow Herald reporter Manny Navarro have heard nothing is happening with the Heat and Kings at this time. Jackson adds that Miami likes Gay as a “complementary player,” but wants to see how Dragic looks with the current roster rather than trading him right now. Per Jackson, Gay would “love” to play in Miami, and the Heat will consider him a secondary option in free agency next July, whether or not they trade for him.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel also explores the Gay rumors from a Heat perspective, suggesting the team probably wouldn’t do the rumored deal involving Dragic and Collison unless the Kings included a draft pick or Willie Cauley-Stein. Winderman also echoes what Jackson wrote, suggesting it’s too early at this point for Miami to make a major trade.
Really? Add Cauley-Stein or a pick for Dragic? That’s wishful thinking.
Watched Gay against the Clippers last night, he’s playing like he doesn’t want to be there. He missed plenty of open looks, looks like his head isn’t in the game. Don’t know if a change of sceneary will help.
There are multiple interesting scenarios here, possibly involving the Heat and Rudy Gay. This potential Dragic option would have to include a draft pick from the Kings, in my opinion. In that scenario, assuming they get free of Bosh’s deal, at least for enough time to have that cap space to sign free agents, the Heat would theoretically have somewhere around $58 million to spend in the offseason (with Derrick Williams, Wayne Ellington, and James Johnson coming off the books). I think they have a couple more expiring deals that may bring that total up, and if they can get rid of McRoberts, that would open up another $6 million. That allows them to go into the offseason with a theoretical core of Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, Hassan Whiteside, their 2017 pick, with all that cap space. Trying to think slightly more realistically than Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Paul Milsap, and Gordon Hayward would seem to be pretty nice potential targets. Include the recouped pick they would get from the Kings for a future asset, and all of the sudden, this Heat team is back in a really good looking spot, at least until they get put deep into the luxury tax when someone else grabs Chris Bosh for at least 25 games.
I also think that this deal isnt necessarily punting the season, as much as I was personally looking forward to seeing what Dragic could do this year. Rudy Gay would fill the massive hole they have at the 4, and could potentially replace Luol Deng in that regard, while Darren Collison can give them minutes as that attacking guard that you sort of lose some of by moving Dragic, and Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson see more responsibility at the lead guard position, with Dion Waiters also seeing minutes as a playmaking guard, as they’ve shown a little bit of so far this preseason.. Obviously, thats a downgrade in some regards, but Rudy Gay really upgrades that 4 spot, and this move would really be all about next year more than anything. WIth that being said, this Heat team sort of looks like it could potentially surprise some people. I still dont think they make the playoffs, but I dont think they’re bad enough to be considered a tanking team….
I do wonder if there is a way to accomplish a Rudy Gay deal without involving Dragic though. I would feel so bad about trading him to Sacramento, of all places. Like, if he is still in Sacramento December 15th, and the situation is still the same, could a deal involving James Johnson, Wayne Ellington, and Josh McRoberts get back Rudy on a few month rental? Johnson returns to Sacramento to take Rudy’s spot at 3/4 positions, Ellington gives them a shooter they need, and McRoberts gives them an interesting option as a playmaking stretch 4/5 in certain lineups, and a guy that could be good for their young, skilled bigs like WCS and Skal to be around, and they still get Ellington and Johnson’s money off the books in their expiring deals. This scenario would be somewhat similar to the first scenario, except obviously, the Heat would have $17 million less in cap space, but they would be guaranteed to have Dragic at the PG spot, whereas the other scenario is reliant on signing Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry on a bigger risk contract than Dragic’s current team friendly one or hoping that Wade is willing to come back, as well as then being able to sign a couple of other big free agent targets. I also think that it would give the Heat a chance to at least compete for a playoff spot this season. Their 2 biggest needs right now are at the 4, and a guy that you can give the ball to at the end of the shot clock, or ask to stop the other team’s 8-0 run with a basket, or give the ball to at the end of the game (I guess right now, that would be Dragic?). I think Rudy Gay at least answers that first need, and gives you at least another option to look to for that 2nd need. Again though, that would be nice, but the primary objective is still next year with the move, so it has a little benefit for both short and longer term. Also, I’d like to see the Heat keep a couple of their young guys at the end of their roster, by making a move like this