He is averaging 11.1 points and 7.4 assists this season for the Raptors (16-29), who are desperately trying to scratch their way into the playoff picture. “Jose is a great facilitator at the guard position and a player that we feel gives us tremendous flexibility on the court when added to the core of guards we have on the roster.”Ĭalderon joined the Raptors from Spain in 2005 and has been a fan favorite and trusted veteran on the team. “We are pleased to welcome Jose Calderon, knowing that he fits our mold as a high character individual who is a great competitor,” Dumars said. Bringing in Calderon gives them a veteran mentor for young point guard Brandon Knight. He is averaging 11.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season. They’ll get a hard-nosed defender in return in Prince, the 32-year-old forward who was drafted by the Pistons in the first round in 2002. The first domino fell before the season, when Oklahoma City sent James Harden to Houston instead of signing him to a big-money extension, and more are sure to follow.Īll told, the Grizzlies shaved nearly $40 million over the next three years after the two trades. But even teams such as the Lakers and Bulls will likely have to be more responsible with their spending under the new deal, where repeat offenders are taxed at rates that multiply with each consecutive year they go over the cap. Playing in a smaller market, the Grizzlies don’t have the extra revenue from lavish television contracts like teams in Los Angeles or New York, which makes it that much more difficult to go over the cap. The collective bargaining agreement negotiated after last year’s lockout makes the penalties for exceeding the salary cap far more punitive, and the system begins in earnest next season. They do run the risk of upsetting the chemistry on a tight-knit group, even if there were some questions of how Gay’s scoring fit in with the ball-dominant frontcourt of Gasol and Randolph.īut there may be more deals like this one coming in the new NBA economy. “Are you serious Rudy Gay is right there under KD, Lebron, Kobe, and Melo. “Wow that was 1 crazy trade today,” Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins tweeted. 1 seed San Antonio before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in the Western semifinals - all with Gay on the bench after needing season-ending shoulder surgery. The Grizzlies had their best playoff run in 2011 when they knocked off then-No. Trading away Gay also eases a luxury tax hit due next season, while concentrating the team around center Marc Gasol and All-Star forward Zach Randolph. “Wow,” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley tweeted. It’s a significant move for a team that was fourth in the Western Conference and three games behind the third-place Clippers. Memphis coach Lionel Hollins had been lobbying to keep his five starters together the rest of this season, but he apparently lost that fight. Team officials said that move put the Grizzlies in position not to have to make a move this season. Just over a week ago, the Grizzlies sent valuable reserve Marreese Speights and two other players to Cleveland in a move that cleared $6.4 million in salary and avoided a $4 million luxury tax hit this season. That’s a big number for new owner Robert Pera, who took over the franchise last November and has quickly started addressing the team’s salary situation. The 6-foot-8 small forward is due $16.5 million this season with $37 million more over the next two years. Gay, averaging 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, signed a five-year, $82 million maximum contract in July 2010 with Memphis. “I’ve done everything possible for this team. “It’s been my home for eight years,” Calderon said in Atlanta, shortly before leaving the arena. The moves surprised many around the league, including Calderon. “In these players, we welcome NBA Champion and Olympic gold medalist Tayshaun Prince, as well as up-and-coming athletic forwards Ed Davis, who won an NCAA title at North Carolina, and Austin Daye.” “We are excited to add three players who bring with them a tremendous amount of value to our team and have achieved incredible success on the pro, college and Olympic levels,” Wallace said in a statement Wednesday night. Memphis general manager Chris Wallace thanked both Gay and Haddaddi for their time with the Grizzlies. The Raptors gave up point guard Jose Calderon and forward Ed Davis in the deal that also included Grizzlies backup center Hamed Haddadi, and Memphis then shipped Calderon to Detroit for Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince.
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The Grizzlies agreed to trade their star swingman to the Raptors on Wednesday, parting with the leading scorer on a team that has aspirations of making a run in the powerful Western Conference. Rudy Gay is on his way to Toronto in the latest and most dramatic move in the Memphis Grizzlies’ money-motivated makeover.