NBA Rumors: Warriors, Lakers among contenders for key free agent

A new free agent on the market is expected to draw several interested suitors, including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Utah Jazz waived veteran forward Rudy Gay, setting him up to pick between several potential contenders in free agency. The 36-year-old is expected to have at least five teams interested in his services, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. 

The Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams looking into Gay. The former No. 8 pick in the 2006 NBA Draft is about to enter his 17th professional season.

While the free agent market has cooled down significantly after the initial surge — partially due to the Damian Lillard and James Harden trade stalemates — Gay is certainly a player worth monitoring.

NBA Rumors: Warriors, Lakers among teams interested in free agent Rudy Gay

Of the teams listed, Golden State and Los Angeles represent the best opportunity for Gay to compete for his first NBA championship. With very few personal accolades on his résumé despite a long and productive career, one has to imagine Gay is determined to compete at the highest level. He’s expected to demand no more than a minimum contract, so the Warriors and Lakers won’t be operating at a financial disadvantage here.

Gay was a legitimate part of the Jazz rotation last season, especially early in the year before Utah’s priorities shifted. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds on .380/.254/.857 splits in 14.6 minutes per game. Listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Gay is limited primarily to one or two positions on defense depending on the matchup. Asking him to defend twitchy guards in space is a recipe for failure.

Let’s keep it real — those numbers don’t exactly inspire confidence. If Gay isn’t hitting 3s, his value is extremely limited at this stage of his career. There’s something to be said for veteran know-how and Gay’s leadership in the locker room, but he’s no longer pressuring the rim as a driver or creating his own looks. The talented three-level scorer of old is firmly in the past; Gay is a stretch-4 who shot below 26 percent from deep in his age-36 season. He’s probably approaching his last go-around in the league.

That said, Gay did receive a steady dose of minutes last season when healthy. If he’s looking to get playing time, then maybe a team like Dallas or Chicago makes more sense. The Mavs still need reliable wings and Chicago is still committed to feigning competitiveness in the East. With limited forward depth beyond Patrick Williams, the Bulls especially could have room for Gay to play real minutes.

Whether or not the Bulls — or any team — should be playing Gay real minutes at this point is an open question, but he has earned the benefit of the doubt over the last two decades. Gay is quietly one of the longest-tenured and most individually productive players left in the NBA. He’s going to get one more bite at the apple.