#RUDY GAY TRADE MEMPHIS PLUS#
Gasol took some time to find his footing after Gay's departure, averaging his worst shooting percentage of the season in February (43.9 percent). But he went nuclear in March, tallying 17.2 points per game on 57 percent from the field, plus 7.1 boards, 4.5 dimes and 1.9 blocks.Ĭonley trudged through a dreadful month of December, as he averaged 11.4 points on 34 percent shooting. Would have been good for 11th over the season. Gay allowed opposing small forwards to post a player efficiency rating of 18.4 against him, similar to the PER of a player like Kenneth Faried, while Prince limited opposing 3s to a PER of just 10.3, comparable to the likes of John Salmons (via ).Īndrew Han ORtg was 103.6 after Rudy Gay trade. When Jerryd Bayless played in Allen's stead, they outscored opponents by 21 points per 100 possessions. With Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Prince, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, the Grizz outscored their opponents by 12 points per 100 possessions. Of their top-five five-man floor units, the two best included Prince in the lineup. With Prince starting at the 3 instead of Gay, Memphis posted a slightly higher effective field-goal percentage while limiting opponents to an effective field-goal percentage of 2.2 percent less (per 82 ). But in fact, their defense got even better while their offense stayed consistent. This postseason, they have stormed into the Western Conference Finals by losing only three games to the high-flying Los Angeles Clippers and reigning conference champions Okahoma City Thunder.Ĭonventional wisdom held that the Grizzlies would struggle to score without Gay's skills as a swingman. Last January 22, the team shipped out a trio of reserve players, along with a future draft pick, to the Cleveland Cavaliers.David Locke after the Rudy Gay trade Memphis had the 3rd best record in the NBA and only lost 1 game at home. This is the second trade the Grizzlies have made in the month of January.
However, they were unwilling to part with swingman Vince Carter, allowing the Pistons to jump in on the deal. The Dallas Mavericks were originally in the position of the Pistons, as they have long wanted to acquire Calderon. Mavs were indeed interested in Calderon, as they've been for ages, but refused to part w/Vince Carter and thus couldn't trump Prince & Daye - Marc Stein January 30, 2013 It also allows them to elevate offseason acquisition Kyle Lowry into the starting point guard position. Meanwhile, the Raptors get a huge boost in scoring from Gay, who currently norms 17.2 points, plus 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. It also helps their roster flexibility though, as they can now move sophomore Brandon Knight to his natural position of shooting guard, playing him alongside Calderon. For the Pistons, the move is also financially-inspired as Calderon's $10.5 million contract is set to expire in the offseason. Prince however gives them a veteran defender at the small forward position, while Ed Davis is a rising young big man, who could down the road replace the production of Zach Randolph. The move is seen as a cost-cutting measure for the Grizzlies, slicing $5.8 million from their salary cap this season, and more than $24 million over the next three years. Total savings in two trades: $37.2M over three years. Grizzlies now $8M under tax, leaving room to take on short-term salary in other deals. Rudy Gay trade saves Memphis $5.8M this season and $26.4M over three years - actually, a multiple of that figure given luxury tax. According to Ken Berger of NBA on CBS, the Raptors will likely waive Haddadi, with Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas set to return. They then found a willing trade partner in the Detroit Pistons, which agreed to take on Calderon, while giving up veteran forward Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye. The Grizzlies however have no need for an additional point guard in Calderon, and then sought out a third team to take him on, while snagging a replacement for Gay.ĮSPN sources say Pistons poised to send both Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to Grizzlies to acquire Jose Calderon as part of Rudy Gay deal - Marc Stein January 30, 2013 The trade, first reported by ESPN's Marc Stein, had the Grizzlies and the Raptors exchange Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi, for Ed Davis and Jose Calderon, as well as a second-round pick. Going online now: ESPN sources say Grizzlies and Raps have deal in place to swap Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi for Ed Davis and Jose Calderon - Marc Stein January 30, 2013 The Memphis Grizzlies have shipped out forward Rudy Gay as part of a three-team deal involving the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons, according to multiple reports Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time).