The Utah Jazz, one of the Western Conference’s fiercest competitors, clearly had their priorities in line for the August 2nd start of free agency. Earlier this morning, the team added 34-year-old former San Antonio Spur and NBA veteran Rudy Gay to the roster alongside yesterday’s contract extension of Mike Conley. Rudy Gay is locked in for two years with the team with a $12.1 million salary.
Along with announcements from industry insiders, Rudy Gay himself hinted at the deal with an Instagram post of a “Welcome to Utah” sign.
Rudy Gay’s addition to the team will hopefully position the Utah Jazz for a more successful post-season run. Rudy Gay posted impressive stats both in the paint and outside the 3-point line last season, shooting 38.1 percent from three and posterizing the defense with flashy dunks.
The Utah Jazz, first seeded in the Western Conference, suffered a tragic loss to the LA Clippers during the Western Conference Semifinals during June’s playoffs. The series, which had been led 2-0 by the Jazz, quickly fell apart as Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley fell victim to minor, yet inhibitory injuries. It seems the Jazz hope for Rudy Gay to pose as another consistent scorer in the upcoming season.
San Antonio Fans took to twitter to congratulate the player while Utah Fans celebrated the addition. “Rudy Gay proved a lot of people wrong coming back from that Achilles tear. He’s a hooper, a comedian and community organizer who served as a wonderful vet for the young guys. He’ll be missed in San Antonio, even though it was time for both player and team to move on,” Spurs reporter Tom Petrini tweeted.
Check out the announcement and some reactions below.