2017 NBA Free Agency: 5 potential destinations for Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay, once a sought after commodity for his scoring, has been on the trade block for years. Finally, he can enter free agency and get a fresh start. Here are the top five teams who might have interest in Gay.

Rudy Gay was once one of the most sought after small forwards in the NBA. His combination of size, shooting, and athleticism made him an incredible option for a number of teams. Gay is an 11-year veteran who averages 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for his career. He carries a 45/34/80 slash line, which is good enough to help a lot of teams in the playoff hunt.

Gay has been remarkably consistent in his career, with his averages staying near his career marks in almost every season. After spending the early part of his career in Memphis, Gay moved on to Toronto in a mid-season trade, and then just a few years later, the Raptors shipped Gay to Sacramento, where Gay has been for the last 3.5 seasons. This past season was Gay’s first where missed any significant playing time. After getting to the $19M million plateau, Gay will be looking to cash in on a long-term deal with a contending team. Here are five that make sense.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Gay has made the playoffs exactly once in his 11-year career. While the allure of money might entice Gay, there is a real opportunity to take a massive discount and guarantee a lot of playing time on a contending team. So, Gay could go to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the veteran’s minimum.

The Cavaliers and Rudy Gay would be a great fit. Coming off the bench to spell LeBron James and playing the wing along him in certain lineups, Gay could offer the punch off the bench that the Cavs lacked in the 2017 playoffs. If Gay lined up alongside Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, and Iman Shumpert, suddenly the Cavs have a deep bench that can score. Gay will make almost no money with this move, but he is also almost guaranteed to make it to the Finals.