Lakers Rumors: Rudy Gay Trade Would Be Step in Wrong Direction for LA

An inefficient scorer who needs the ball in his hands is the last thing the Lakers (20-25) need to add to their floundering mix of talent. 

This means the Lakers need to look at the dangling Rudy Gay and keep on moving. Although, they certainly may be tempted to look. 

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, there is a move that could work that would find Gay winding up in Los Angeles: 

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We've heard more than one rival team speculate that a three-way deal where Pierce lands in Memphis, Gasol goes to Boston and Gay joins the Lakers makes "some sense." Sources say that the Celtics and Grizzlies have indeed held some exploratory trade talks since Gay hit the market.

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Small forward Gay has value around the league. He is a proven scorer who is averaging 17.2 points per game this season. He is also a good rebounder for his position and can get blocks and steals. 

He has good length and solid athleticism, and he can finish around the rim. 

While that athleticism and finishing ability would be a welcomed addition to the Lakers roster, there are too many areas where this would be a bad fit to make the deal worth it. 

Gay takes a lot of shots (16.4 per game this season) to get his points. Once the ball hits his hands, that is typically the end of ball movement for the possession. Gay dribbles too much and he does not like to pass. 

He also is a terrible jump shooter and getting worse. Gay is shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 31 percent from beyond the arc. These are both career lows. 

The Lakers have far too many offensive weapons to add an offensive ball-stopper with no shooting touch. Shoot, this team has so many offensive weapons that even Kobe Bryant is starting to look to pass first. 

Defensively, the Lakers aren't going to gain much with Gay. While he is solid on the boards and with steals, he is not a reliable option against athletic wing players, and that is really where the Lakers defense needs help. 

This would be a sexy and intriguing trade. However, it would only set the Lakers back.