It was rumored to be in the works, and now it's completed. The Memphis Grizzles have dealt star swingman Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team, six-player deal.
According to ESPN.com, as part of a money-motivated move to clear Gay's salary off their books, Memphis trades him to the Raptors, acquiring forward Ed Davis and veteran guard Jose Calderon in the deal, and also dealt backup center Hamed Haddadi.
Memphis shipped Calderon to Detroit, the third team in the deal, for Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince, and in turn picked up a 2013 second-round pick from Toronto.
The Dallas Mavs were also interested in acquiring Calderon, but weren't prepared to surrender swingman Vince Carter, whom Memphis hoped to fill the void created by Gay's departure.
"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," Memphis general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement Wednesday night (January 30). "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."
The trades surprised many, including Calderon, who has played for Toronto over the past eight years.
"I've done everything possible for this team. It's tough. The fans have been with me since Day 1. It's tough," he said.
Gay signed a five-year, $82 million maximum contract in July 2010 with Memphis. This season, he is due $16.5 million, along with $37 million more over the next two years. The Grizzles' new owner Robert Pera, who took over the franchise last November, has been addressing the team's salary situation... resulting in the move.
The swingman is averaging 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds this season.
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