Plus, Gay was owed $37 million over the next two years, when, it should be noted, changes in the salary cap in the new collective bargaining agreement would have made it prohibitively expensive for the Grizzlies to have kept their current roster together. Meanwhile Rudy Gay, making $16.5 million this season, was averaging 17.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, very good but not superstar numbers for a player who doesn't contribute much else beyond scoring. After that 12-2 start, the Grizzlies went 17-13 before the Gay trade. What these critics don't take account is that the Grizzlies, who were overachieving in their hot start, have cooled off quite a bit since. The Memphis Grizzlies, a contending team, traded away the deal's best player for reasons that were mostly financial. In some respects, the critics of the trade were right. Not finished there, the Grizzlies then sent Calderon to the Detroit Pistons for Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince. Memphis sent Gay and backup center Hammed Haddadi to the Toronto Raptors for forward Ed Davis, guard Jose Calderon and a second round pick in the 2013 Draft. The Grizzlies, despite being serious contenders in the Western Conference, traded away one of their biggest scoring threats in Gay for reasons that were at least as much about money as they were about basketball. is here and he is watching every step trying to make this team better.If you heard the post-trade analysis, you would have thought that the Memphis Grizzlies had pulled out a full-on Miami Marlins fire sale when they traded Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors last week. "Last time I left it up to my agent and it worked for me," Gay said. While Toronto offers the challenge, respect and stardom he wanted, Gay would like to let the dust settle before thinking long-term. Rudy was a guy who I thought would eventually be available." We had targeted Rudy as a dynamic player who would fit a number of things we would add to our team. "We needed to find out who was available and who was going to fit the characteristics of a star quality player we were looking for. "We obviously needed to elevate the talent level of our team," Colangelo said. The Grizzlies have moved on, too, with a 10-4 record without Gay and veteran newcomer Tayshaun Prince starting at small forward. Gay is averaging a team-high 20.9 points with two game-winning shots in 14 contests (back spasms sidelined him on March 2 vs.
They are 7-8 since Gay played his first game as a Raptor on Feb. Toronto was 16-29 before the trade on Jan. The Raptors have not been to the playoffs since 2008 and are a long shot this season. Here I'm being challenged and they're seeing what I'm made of." I was challenged in Memphis, but it was a tug of war at times. I needed a new task with something I could grasp, something I could take over. "I needed a change," Gay said of the trade. Attempts will be made to move Bargnani this summer for a proven scoring post player, sources said. Toronto is in need of star power since the departure of Chris Bosh and the demise of Andrea Bargnani, the former No. General manager Bryan Colangelo already views him as the face of the franchise, and a source said he will likely offer a contract extension in the offseason. The struggling Raptors appear to believe in Gay. They come in there and they want it their own way, and you can't blame them for that.
"With, I don't think anybody's comfortable," Gay said.