NBA Rumors: Will Rudy Gay take pay cut to play with Golden State Warriors?
The Free Agent period is upon us and NBA Rumors are swirling already. One of the latest has Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors supposedly doing his best recruiting job for Rudy Gay. Gay on the Warriors sounds like a pipe dream but it can only happen if Gay is willing to take one heck of a pay cut. Gay earned $13M last season with the Sacramento Kings before his season was ended due to injury and may have a higher number on his mind.
Gay was one of the hottest names being mentioned in trade rumors at the beginning of the 2016 season but went down injured, thus resulting in the Kings getting nothing of value for him. Instead, they were able to make a trade involving DeMarcus Cousins. Now with Gay free to sign elsewhere, he must ponder what’s important–a ring or a check?
The Golden State Warriors are loaded with talent in their starting unit, however, their bench is another story. With super-sub Andre Iguodala fielding offers from a slew of teams, the Warriors must begin to think about a possible replacement. Iggy has been a consistent force for the team during their 3 NBA Finals run and his loss will put a dent on a 4th straight trip. This is what Durant had to see. He’s looking for veteran players who are willing to play to win the same way Ray Allen did for the Miami Heat during the Big 3 days.
Gay is still an explosive player. Before he went down in 2016 he was averaging 19 points and 6 rebounds on 46 percent shooting. This is far above what Iggy provided and for the same amount of money.
If Steve Kerr really wishes to destroy the league– think about this lineup for a moment if the Warriors wanted to play small ball. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant, Draymond Green and Gay. Green can switch to the 5 while Durant swings to the 4. That is one lineup that no team in the NBA can defend.
It all comes down to money.
The Warriors can offer a cheap one-year deal for $5M and see how the experiment goes. Gay may wish to remain a top scorer or he could take a lesser role, stay quiet, win a championship and get his payday next year.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
