NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin and More
The NBA's ever-churning rumor mill gained a little speed Thursday with rumblings connecting Rudy Gay and Blake Griffin to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
We have ESPN.com's Zach Lowe to thank for the new tidbits, as he revealed some interesting information from his sources.
OKC started the season at 7-5 but is still looking for ways to improve the roster. Having one superstar in Russell Westbrook and 14 rotation players generally isn't a recipe for title contention.
Another bit of news from the Southwest Division surfaced as well, as The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Memphis Grizzlies could be without Brandan Wright for an extended period.
Will OKC Trade for Rudy Gay?
Westbrook is a star—one of the four or five best players in the NBA, actually. And Victor Oladipo still has the potential to be an All-Star-level player. But the Thunder need more talent.
Cue the oft-mentioned Gay, who's been attached to trade rumors for months, as detailed by HoopsHype. Lowe broke down his possible fit in OKC:
"They acquired Oladipo with the idea of making him a sixth man -- the new Harden -- instead of jamming him alongside Westbrook into a starting five with zero proven above-average NBA 3-point shooters.
They remain interested in bigger wings, including Rudy Gay, sources say, in part because such a player would slide everyone down to their intended spots: Oladipo to the bench, and Andre Roberson back to defending shooting guards.
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Gay's defense and shoot-first mentality have been maligned for much of his career, but it's easy to see the intrigue in slotting him next to Westbrook.
This season, Gay is averaging 21.3 points and shooting 42.4 percent from three. Having him stalk the perimeter as a kick-out option for Westbrook's drives would make it harder on collapsing defenses.
And Gay's ability to play the 4 opens up some interesting small-ball options as well. A lineup of Westbrook, Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Gay and Steven Adams might struggle to defend but could be lethal on offense in short bursts.
Blake Griffin Not Likely to Head Home to Oklahoma
Later in his examination of the Thunder, Lowe shared this nugget: "There is no sign Blake Griffin wants to come home, per several sources."
LeBron James made homecoming stories all the rage in 2014, and an aging Dwyane Wade followed suit this past summer, but it looks like the best players available in the last few years aren't as keen on the idea.
Kevin Durant not only rebuffed the Washington Wizards, he didn't even grant them a meeting before announcing his decision to join the Golden State Warriors.
Griffin can enter free agency in 2017, and it looks like he may go the Durant route. That makes sense, given the Los Angeles Clippers' improved play this season and Griffin's new hobby of stand-up comedy.
The bigger market doesn't have as much sway as it once did, but there are still some things in L.A. that just aren't accessible in Oklahoma City.
Brandan Wright Out for 2 More Months
One issue for the Grizzlies heading into this season was a lack of depth. And while Zach Randolph and Vince Carter have added a scoring punch to the bench, the cupboard is still somewhat bare after the team's top seven or eight players.
That's what makes losing Wright so difficult:
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Wright has been one of the best finishers in the league. Over that span, his field-goal percentage of 66 percent ranks second behind DeAndre Jordan's (minimum 500 field-goal attempts).
That kind of weapon in the paint would give perimeter players like Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons more room to operate. The snag, of course, is that Wright has to be on the floor to do that. In 2015-16, he appeared in only 12 games. And it looks like he's on track for another injury-plagued campaign.
