via Alex Kennedy — Grizzlies May Trade Rudy Gay:
League sources expect Memphis to shop Gay, who is owed $53,666,790 over the next three years. Gay is no longer considered untouchable, and he could be on the move in the next few months if the right offer comes along.
If Gay does become available this summer, there would be no shortage of teams interested in the 25-year-old. The Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic are among the teams who would attempt to trade for Gay, according to sources close to the situation.
Here’s the thing about this report. Firstly, it cites league sources, not team sources, that expect the Grizzlies to field offers for Rudy Gay. Which is entirely plausible, but hardly concrete. Secondly, the sources cited only reference teams that could potentially have interest for Gay, not teams that have placed a phone call. It’s entirely possible that those teams expressed interest in Gay the last time he went on the trading merry-go-round, but for now it’s still premature.
Thirdly, and most importantly, I don’t see a deal here that would both entice Memphis and make sense for Brooklyn. Brook Lopez is too steep a price, Gerald Wallace is too shallow, and the Nets can only trade one of next year’s two first-rounders (unless they acquire one for this year in the interim, per the Stepien Rule.
Rudy Gay is a step-or-two-short-of-excellent basketball player, and would be an immediate upgrade at the small forward position even if the Nets retain Gerald Wallace. But at this juncture, I don’t see how it happens.
