JULY 20: The Thunder have officially released Gay, per a press statement.
JULY 19: The Thunder are waiving forward Rudy Gay, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Gay, who turns 37 next month, has been traded twice this offseason. The Jazz sent him to Atlanta in the John Collins deal, and then the Hawks moved him to Oklahoma City in a salary dump.
As Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets, releasing Gay will open up a roster spot, which the Thunder will use to officially sign Jack White. The two sides agreed to the terms of a contract on July 1, but OKC made some trades to add draft assets, temporarily putting the deal on hold.
Gay has had a long and highly productive NBA career, often popping up on lists of the best players to have never been an All-Star. He averaged at least 17 points and five rebounds per game in 10 consecutive seasons from 2007-2017 with the Grizzlies, Raptors and Kings.
While the 17-year veteran was still a solid performer as recently as 2020/21 with the Spurs, he battled injuries over his two seasons with the Jazz, appearing in just 111 of a possible 164 regular season games. His production slipped as well, with Gay posting career lows in virtually every major statistic over the past two campaigns.
Overall, Gay has appeared in 1120 regular season contests, including 779 starts, with career averages of 15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.7 BPG on .452/.346/.799 shooting in 30.9 MPG. In ’22/23, he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting in 56 games (14.6 MPG).
Gay is virtually certain to go unclaimed on the waiver wire, as he’ll earn a guaranteed $6,479,000 in ’23/24, which is the final year of his contract. The Thunder will be on the hook for that full amount in a couple days if he isn’t claimed, while the former UConn star will become an unrestricted free agent.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic previously identified the Warriors as a team that might be interested in Gay if he were to hit the open market.
Just say No, Warriors.
Our team is Old enough.
i rather see a big body but he still is a good player off the bench.
At 6-8, 250, he is pretty big, just not a 5, except maybe small ball.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Rudy Gay but no he isn’t a good player off the bench anymore. He’s not quick enough to stay in front of his man defensively, he can’t shoot nor does he drive to the hoop anymore. Off the bench last season for Utah he put up 5.2/2.9/1.0 on .380/.254 shooting and the prior season was only marginally better.
Rudy Gay is done.
I was kiiiinda thinking that, gang….but the age is year to year. nothing permanent. just to get back to the level we’re accustomed to. better than a bunch of rookies . every Curry year is gold now. naw mean?
I was reading on the HoopsHype rumor mill that GMs were waiting expectantly to see who the Thunder would waive (they have 20 standard contracts once Jack White signs). I don’t think Rudy Gay is the name that any of them are salivating over. An end of the bench veteran at this stage in his career. Might be a decent depth fit for the Bulls or Cavs.
I imagine Oladipo will be the next casualty since he will be out for at least the first part of the season. Then Bertans. And then they’ve got some interesting decisions to make.
Those 2 are almost sure bet cuts….thunder just trying to see if anyone will give up a second for either. But all those teams know the thunder aren’t hanging onto them. They took them in as salary dumps.
Love Rudy Gay!
Bulls would be wise
No thanks, but maybe Bertans on a min
An outstanding player, truly a standout, since being drafted in Memphis. Go to scorer since a rookie, high flyer.
In San Antonio, as a 3/4, still.did quite some damage as an off the bench scoring forward.
More than a thousand games i’m the NBA is a big-time thresold.
A truly talented player and decorated career.
I would definitely sign him if I we’re a contender.
Maybe the Celtics?
Of course because the Celtics love SFs. A whole team full of 6’7 guys. Remember Celtics have no loyalty anymore
In the last several hours we’ve had Gay Leaky articles.
You seem to have a very cerebral sense of humor.
Ya know, it all makes sense now. The guy with the user name of “BloodFarts” would be an authority on Leaky Gay articles.
Put two and two together yeah it makes sense now
I was kiiiinda thinking that, gang….but the age is year to year. nothing permanent. just to get back to the level we’re accustomed to. better than a bunch of rookies . every Curry year is gold now. naw mean?
The Warriors definitely need another front court player for their bench, so I’m sure they will give Gay some consideration. The question is whether anyone better may become available
In okc they waive the Gay away
I miss nba…come back
peaches……f the pain away
This guy has been stealing money from the NBA for years, just say no.
Rudy is cooked. I don’t think he has much to offer, and getting signed to a new team as a “spiritual leader” or whatever Haslem & Iguodala did is not likely if not a team mainstay already.
Get ready for a multi faceted discrimination lawsuit against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
First because of Age Discrimination.
Second because Rudy is a Gay.
Your supply of pathetic attempts at humor is endless
this feels like you couldn’t wait to push send..thinking it would be hysterical…….its actually lame on several levels. no more comedy from you!
my prediction.. he ends up on the Heat after the Lillard trade as one of 3-5 minimum contracts (along with Goran Dragic, Christian Wood, and others)
I’ve never been a big Gay guy.
The kings need some vet presents
Rudy Gay oddly enough had good defensive numbers last year. He’s also still very clutch. He’s just not a volume scorer anymore. I’d see him talking to the young guys all the time. Would be perfect for a young team as a player coach. It’d just be much better if he’s not making as much as he was.
Rudy can help a playoff team. Just adds depth and experience. You can always use depth. It’s a long season.
Gay is still better than 50 percent of the league