Rudy Gay - DAL

[Walt Frazier]

OK, can I have two of this guy? In an incredibly tough and tight race for Rudy's services, Brooklyn comes just short.

Rudy is going to sign a short-term deal with the Mavs and have some fun playing with Dirk, Tyson, and Paul. He thinks he'll learn quite a lot about being a leader of a team and use that new knowledge when he moves onto the next part of his career as a team leader and older veteran after this contract.

The Nets put up quite an argument and I truly was deciding on this all day, going back and forth and back and forth again, but in the end this just felt like the right choice. Rudy has never played in the Eastern Conference. Dirk (IRL) impressed a player like DeAndre enough to almost leave a great situation. Dirk and Paul Pierce both showed they had plenty left in the tank in the playoffs this past season, and Tyson Chandler still looks like he can make noise himself.

So, we're going to sign 2 years guaranteed with the Mavs to try and help these great veterans get a championship. Rudy will be a lead scorer on the team along with Dirk, and we anticipate making a lot of noise in the West. A 3rd year Player Option will be added to the contract. If the Mavs can find a way to put more talent around Rudy (along with Tyson) by that time, he might pick up the option and get his BR's in Dallas. If, however, Dirk and Pierce are on their way out by then, he can opt out after a short window with the Mavs and go elsewhere as a grizzled, knowledgeable and experienced veteran who has learned from multiple championship-winning Hall Of Fame players like Dirk and Paul Pierce.

To the Brooklyn Nets - Great negotiating and you really had us making probably my toughest decision in my long years as a Player Agent. I'm not sure either decision would have felt 100% correct and either decision would have almost certainly felt a little wrong, but factoring in everything I factor in, which is almost everything, Dallas came away as the right choice for Rudy on a short-term deal.

Year 1: $14,000,000
Year 2: $15,540,000
Year 3: $17,249,400 (PO)

Total: $46,789,400

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]

Playing the Small Forward Position with Paul Pierce? They can't play Shooting Guard. ^^

[Walt Frazier]

Rudy can absolutely play SG. In fact the Nets also would have played him there. I believe that Paul and Rudy can work together to cover each other's deficiencies and capitalize on each other's strengths at the 2 and 3.


EDIT/ADDITIONALLY: The NBA game is less and less about "position" these days. Something Barkley always harps on that I do agree with. I think Rudy, Tyson Chandler, Paul Pierce, and Dirk Nowitzki can cause a lot of havoc working together. Can be a lot of fun to watch for a couple of years.

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]

I see. It's nice that Danny didn't signed Rajon Rondo or else. GSW will have a hard time. ^^

[James Kay]

For what it's worth - Rudy Gay has played more NBA minutes as a center than as a shooting guard.

[Danny Longley]

[Danny Longley]

I actually intend to play Pierce at the two, yeah he's slower nowadays but he started his career at the two so that should be fine. It's not like there are Kobes and T-Macs to face at the two anymore anyway.

EDIT: As for Rondo, I'm sure Bryan could tell that I wasn't really interested in bringing him back in. I mean yeah, thanks for the two years but he absolutely bombed the Mavs last year IRL. I only offered him about 12m, then told him I was probably going to withdraw if I got Rudy.

[Andrei Kirilenko]

Very disappointed by this decision. RIP Rudy's career.

[Walt Frazier]

Jul 14, 2015 4:32:09 GMT James Kay said:

For what it's worth - Rudy Gay has played more NBA minutes as a center than as a shooting guard.

Which just illustrates even more how much the NBA has changed.

Tell me, does Rudy Gay look more like Kobe Bryant or Patrick Ewing?

He's much more a wing player than he is a big man.

The NBA is just playing so many small lineups now, the positions we know (knew) are becoming worthless.

EDIT: said another way, it's worth nothing. In addition to the fact he's going to play the 3 anyway. I never said he'd be playing the 2, others did. I simply said that PP and Rudy can cover some of each other's possible weaknesses at those two spots.

Offensively, positions don't matter. Carmelo might be a true 3 but he might also be the best post scorer on a lot of teams in the league (until he recently started only shooting 3's).

But defensively, I'd imagine Rudy guarding whichever SG/SF is more athletic and then Tyson helping to mop up the guys that Pierce might let through sometimes.

[Walt Frazier]

Jul 14, 2015 8:17:51 GMT Andrei Kirilenko said:

Very disappointed by this decision. RIP Rudy's career.

I seriously typed up the explanation for the Mavs, stopped, highlighted the whole thing with my mouse, put my finger over the delete key, then stopped. I formulated the words I would use if he signed with your team. I reread what I wrote for the Mavs. I thought for a while.

I moved my finger away from delete, over to the mouse, and clicked submit.

Toughest choice I've made in memory as a PA.

[Charles Barkley]

Jul 14, 2015 12:30:22 GMT Walt Frazier said:

Jul 14, 2015 8:17:51 GMT Andrei Kirilenko said:

Very disappointed by this decision. RIP Rudy's career.

I seriously typed up the explanation for the Mavs, stopped, highlighted the whole thing with my mouse, put my finger over the delete key, then stopped. I formulated the words I would use if he signed with your team. I reread what I wrote for the Mavs. I thought for a while.

I moved my finger away from delete, over to the mouse, and clicked submit.

Toughest choice I've made in memory as a PA.

At least it makes sense. And was well thought out and portrayed well.