Rudy Gay to the Timberwolves Makes No Sense... or Perfect Sense

The Timberwolves have been reportedly interested in Memphis forward Rudy Gay for some time, but when the item resurfaced on TBL it was the first time the possibility had popped in my brain since the draft order was announced. Last year, T-Wolves GM David Kahn was the laughing stock at the draft. Signing Rudy Gay to a big contract would likely earn Kahn more negative attention.

Why would this move be questionable? The Wolves currently have Corey Brewer and Jonny Flynn as their starting backcourt, neither who's a formidable 3-point shooter. Adding Rudy Gay would add another guy more adept at driving than shooting. Defenses sagging off would also create a logjam in the lane would also limit the effectiveness of both Kevin Love and Al Jefferson.

In addition, the Wolves have the 4th, 16th and 23rd picks in the upcoming draft. At the 4th spot, according to many mock drafts they will be in position to draft Wesley Johnson out of Syracuse. Johnson showed a reliable 3-point shot last season, albeit in college and while he may not possess quite the same explosiveness as Gay, he's certainly capable of filling the void for $7+ million less per year.

Unless the Wolves already have a deal in place to move multiple pieces, Rudy Gay is not the answer on the outside. They would need to move Al Jefferson and Corey Brewer for a sharpshooter to justify acquiring Gay (and even then not at the price they'll likely pay). Even if they move Jefferson what are they getting back? Unless the answer is a SG with a steady stroke, they may not be better off. More draft picks perhaps? Then paying for a guy like Gay makes even less sense because the roster won't mature until the end of his deal. Plus trading Jefferson will leave a hole in the middle and even if the decide to select DeMarcus Cousins his effectiveness would limited for the reasons stated above. A better fit for the team would be to draft Johnson and then try to sign John Salmons. Not a huge Salmons guy, but I'll take Salmons and Johnson over Gay for the same price.

After last year's Ricky Rubio debacle, nothing David Kahn does can be classified as a surprise, but if he screws up this offseason, the writer turned GM may find himself looking for a new profession. There will always be barber college...


(H/T Porkchop)