Grizzlies max out Rudy Gay (Hoopshype)

[Seventyniner]

Top story on Hoopshype's rumors page (they've been decently accurate in the past).

http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm

[Stump]

As I posted in another thread, how much can other teams offer him? It can't be much more, if any.

[Mel_13]

As I posted in another thread, how much can other teams offer him? It can't be much more, if any.

Can't offer more than the max. The only reason to offer a restricted FA like Rudy the max and not let the market set his price is goodwill. There's no economic reason to do so.

[Mr Bones]

This is how average teams stay average. Rudy's a good player, but there's just no way he is a max player. He's not even as good as a healthy Ginobili or Parker.

[Kori Ellis]

Confirmed by Yahoo as $81.6M.


Rudy Gay has agreed to a five-year, $81.6 million deal with Memphis, including a player option on fifth, his reps at Octagon confirmed to Y!
http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/17513743895

[timvp]

WTF. Gay doesn't even really help a team win.

This free agency period is off to a crazy start.

[Chucho]

Frye get's 25 mil, Darko 20, Gooden 32, Joe Johnson is getting maxed out and so is Rudy Gay? Damn, some teams are just either desperate or plain stupid and it's usually the latter. And to top it off, the most over rated FA, Chris Bosh is certain to get the max too along with Boozer and Amare. The only players truly deserving of the max are Pierce (don't give a shit how old he is, he's got more heart and anyone on the market not named Wade) Wade, LeBron and despite his role as the biggest playoff choker, Dirk.

Amare, Boozer, Johnson and Bosh are very good players but they don't deserve max money one iota. They are second tier stars. And Rudy Gay is a fourth tier star and giving him max money might make David Khan's daylight robbery of the Timberwolve's funds look insignificant compared to this. Stupid Grizz.

[jag]

You'd think GM's and owners would learn from Rashard Lewis...

[Goran Dragic]

And people say Amare isn't worth the max. This is getting ridiculous.

[IronMexican]

It's not a great signing, but at least the Grizzlies are showing a sign of them willing to spend money.

[4>0rings]

Grizzlies don't have a chance at anything else. To make it look like the FO is doing something besides helping the Lakers they had to keep their stars.

[ducks]

after they gave gasol away should have just kepted gasol
and let another team set gay price

[Muser]

Holy shit.

[sefant77]

Trading a future first for Brewer and letting him walk months later not to pay the QO of 3 millions.

rofl

[timvp]

Pau Gasol isn't worth the max but Rudy Gay is.

Okay, Memphy.

[spursfan1000]

It's on realgm too...

[Seventyniner]

None of this makes sense. They let Brewer go when they could've kept him at least for the one season QO, they trade for Randolph's $17+M, they waaaaay overpay Gay, and they refused to pay P. Gasol. If Bill Simmons were to take over any team, please let it be this one. Only Minnesota has made stranger moves than them these last few years (with Detroit, Milwaukee, and Golden State not far behind).

[4>0rings]

Pau Gasol isn't worth the max but Rudy Gay is.

Okay, Memphy.But they ended up with the better fatter Gasol!!!

[Goran Dragic]

Pau Gasol isn't worth the max but Rudy Gay is.

Okay, Memphy.

Well it's a mistake teams make all the time (sup getting rid of Billups to sign Ben Gorden and Villanueva).

[Mr Bones]

Spurs let Stephen Jackson walk because he wouldn't accept 3 years/10 mil. That's the other side of the coin. Then they paid Rasho much more... funny how some things go, huh? Imagine if SJ had stayed with the Spurs from '04 thru '09... guaranteed at least one more title.

[rjv]

This is how average teams stay average. Rudy's a good player, but there's just no way he is a max player. He's not even as good as a healthy Ginobili or Parker.

this is also how bad organizations mess with the better ones. they raise the bar on the remaining free agents who are better than the ones getting maxed out by the inferior teams.

[noob cake]

David Lee and Amare needs to treat gay to a nice steak dinner. Gay just earned Leefense and Stat both max contracts.

[Samr]

David Lee and Amare needs to treat gay to a nice steak dinner. Gay just earned Leefense and Stat both max contracts.

+1

There's no way this signing, more so than the others (Salmons, JJ, Boozer, etc), doesn't greatly alter the market. Simply because Gay signed a max deal, every player more talented than him -- which is quite a few -- is going to demand and probably get a max contract as well. The exceptions being if they purposefully take less money to play in a better situation, which given the new CBA outlook, probably won't happen.

Good news is this makes it better for smaller market teams (Spurs, Rockets, etc). The more guys sign max deals, the less salary cap room other teams have to spend, and the less money available for those role players the smaller market teams will target. So while Amare, Lee and all them need to take Gay out for a steak dinner, guys like Udonis Haslem are going to have his head.

Butterfly effect. This free agency period has been very interesting thus far.

[Stump]

There have been a lot of god awful signings today. This tops them all by far.

Giving Rudy Gay the max is awful in any situation. Include Memphis' history of cheapness and throwing away assets and it looks worse. But worse than all that, he was RESTRICTED! Why would you give a player the max when you could wait it out and potentially get him for less? Did they think he was going to Greece? Please.

[Samr]

Anyone else think this is all just karmic retribution for their part in the Pau Gasol Giveaway Sweepstakes?

[TDMVPDPOY]

isnt he in the same price range as iggy?

[baseline bum]

I'm still waiting for the Briant Grant signs for the max moment of this free agency period. Could this be it? We already got our Allan Houston deal down with JJ.

[Shastafarian]

http://callitmilehigh.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/wallace-070618-74693803jm009-300.jpg

"What do you mean I can't cut him and recoup the money?"