NBA Trade Rumors: Rudy Gay to Toronto Raptors in three-team trade
By Zak Kolesar
Jan 19, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Memphis Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay (22) is defended by Chicago Bulls small forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at the United Center. The Grizzlies won 85-82 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The Memphis Grizzlies, a team that the Cleveland Cavaliers just got done dealing with, have made another move. This time around, however, the assets involved in the trade were more prominent of names than Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and Jon Leuer. Rumors that were said to have gone to their resting place became resurrected on Wednesday when the Grizzlies conducted a three-team trade with the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons. Rudy Gay, a very talented player that Memphis had been looking to move due to his $37 million contract over the next two seasons, has finally been moved despite trade talks simmering down according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The trade requires three big-name players in Gay, Jose Calderon and Tayshaun Prince, but there is much more to the deal. Below you can see which players/assets each team received:
Grizzlies:
-Received Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye, Ed Davis and a second-round pick from the Raptors
-Sent: Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi
Raptors:
-Received Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi
-Sent Jose Calderon, Ed Davis and a second-round pick
Pistons:
-Received Jose Calderon
-Sent Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye
This trade affects the Wine and Gold in such a way that the Pistons are Central Division rivals with the Cavs. Calderon will be a free agent in the summer, so whether or not the Pistons pick him up after the season is over is unknown. Calderon is a point guard who is known for giving Kyrie Irving troubles, and is currently averaging 11.1 points and 7.4 assists with a PER of 19.4. Prince has two years left on his contract and is owed $14.9 million over the next two seasons, while Daye will become a restricted free agent in 2013. The Pistons lose their starting small forward and a backup in Daye, but now have an interesting point guard tandem of Brandon Knight and Calderon.
The Cavaliers will be matching up with the Pistons two more times this season, and the first of those two meetings will happen on Friday. It is still unknown if Calderon will be available for the game, as the trade has only been agreed to in principle.
It will be a very different situation for Prince, as he has spent all 11 of his seasons with the Pistons. That includes seven playoff appearances and one championship in 2004. Prince is currently averaging 11.7 points and 4.6 rebounds, while shooting 43.4 percent from three. Detroit saves a lot in this deal, as it moves them $25 million under the salary cap beginning this July.
As for the Grizzlies, they were a team with the highest championship implications in the franchise’s 17-season history. Gay was without a doubt a pivotal part to the team’s success so far this season, but the team needed to look forward to the bad contract they would have to assume if they kept him past this season. However, I do think this move puts this team at more of a disadvantage to win in the playoffs this season. Davis is a better frontcourt member than Speights and Haddadi combined, so that move is a major win for the Grizzlies.