Therein lies the problem with the Warriors' chances for Gay. Amick reports that Golden State's insistence on including the contract of Richard Jefferson (two years, $21.2 million remaining) or Andris Biedrins (two years, $18 million) in any such deal is seen as a deal breaker. The Warriors reportedly have been very interested in Gay for some time, and they certainly could use his experience at the 3 they've been starting rookie first-rounder Harrison Barnes all season and relying on fellow rookie Draymond Green as the primary backup. In reality, those types of salaries would have to be included along with Dudley and draft picks for the Suns to have any chance at Gay, unless a third team is involved. And it's doubtful that the Grizzlies would take any chances or have any interest in players such as Channing Frye (out this season because of an enlarged heart) and Michael Beasley, two guys signed through 2014-15 on deals of about $6 million per year. Luis Scola can't be traded because he was an amnesty claim. The draft picks are an enticing part of this because Phoenix could be a lottery team for the next several seasons, but the Suns lack the pieces necessary to make this deal work. Let's take a look at which of the six teams mentioned have the best chance of working out a deal and which other teams might also make sense.Īccording to Wojnarowski's report from Tuesday, the Suns and Grizzlies have engaged in talks, and Memphis covets a package that includes Suns forward Jared Dudley and future first-round picks. However, getting anything close to equal value for Gay while cutting payroll could prove quite challenging for Memphis. Multiple reports in the past week from Grantland's Zach Lowe, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, USA Today's Sam Amick and 's Marc Stein have Memphis shopping Gay, with Phoenix, Toronto, Golden State, Denver, Minnesota and Sacramento being the six teams mentioned in trade talks. (The 2013-14 luxury tax level has not yet been set, but Memphis has $72,481,656 on the books for the 2013-14 roster, per ).
Starting next season under the rules of the new CBA, though, the penalties are much stricter for teams that exceed the luxury tax level - particularly for repeat offenders, as the Grizzlies would be if Gay remains on the roster.
Under the former collective bargaining agreement rules, the team has to pay the league one dollar for every dollar it's over.
This season, the Grizzlies' payroll of $74,127,785 is almost $4 million over the $70,307,000 luxury tax level. As good as Gay is, and as valuable as it is to have an athletic 6-foot-9 small forward in the starting lineup, that's a lot of money for anyone without an All-Star appearance.Īs far as Memphis is concerned, keeping him in the fold will get pretty costly starting next season. Gay, who, believe it or not, has never been an All-Star, signed a five-year deal worth a little more than $82.3 million in the summer of 2010 and is set to earn $16,460,538 this season and $17,888,932 next season with a player option in 2014-15 for $19,317,326. Today the contending Grizzlies find themselves faced with a harsh reality: The key 26-year-old might be too expensive to keep around for a title run.
It's been six and a half years since the Memphis Grizzlies acquired Rudy Gay from the Houston Rockets in a draft-day trade for Shane Battier.