If Rudy Gay can recover from his Achilles tear, he could become a free agent target for the Miami Heat this summer.
Rudy Gay has officially opted out of his contract with the Sacramento Kings, and will become a free agent. He’s very interested in the Miami Heat as a potential destination, according to a report.
Can confirm this -- Gay has made official what many reported in May he planned to do. He's a free agent. https://t.co/IQwYpfiCG7
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 12, 2017
Gay will give up $14.2 million to leave the Kings and enter free agency. It was reported earlier in the year that he planned to opt out, but he’s now informed the team of his decision. It’s an interesting decision given that Gay is recovering from an Achilles tear he suffered about four months ago.
Gay was averaging 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30 games before suffering a complete tear of his Achilles on Jan. 18 against the Indiana Pacers. According to ESPN’s Marc Spears, Gay expects to make a full recovery.
"“[Gay’s agent Roger] Montgomery said that Gay is ‘ahead of schedule’ as he has passed the initial rehabilitation stage, was cleared medically to begin weightlifting and is expected to be back on the court by mid-June.”"
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It’s unclear if Gay will be able to recoup the type of money he’s leaving on the table. The most similar case to Gay’s is Wesley Matthews, who signed a four-year, $70 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks after suffering a similar injury. However, he was two years younger than the 30-year-old Gay when he suffered that injury.
Gay may be willing to take that risk in order to escape the Kings. He was unhappy in Sacramento, and may be hoping to reinvigorate his career elsewhere.
That makes the Miami Heat an interesting option. Gay is believed to have eyes for South Beach, and given how the Heat were able to rehab the careers of James Johnson and Dion Waiters, they could be near the top of Gay’s list.
The question is, then, if the Heat want to sign Gay. The aforementioned injury notwithstanding, do the Heat want a player who is a notorious ball stopper? Gay has a lot of scoring talent, and if the Heat believe they can break him out of some bad habits, he could be a valuable addition as a stretch-4.
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But before that’s even a concern, Gay’s Achilles needs to check out. That will determine what direction his career goes in this summer.