Rudy Gay to the Cavs: Guide to the Potential Move

There's no question that the Cleveland Cavaliers have explored the idea of bringing Rudy Gay to town.

Prior to the 2011 NBA draft, the Cavs were reported to be dangling to the No. 4 overall pick (which Cleveland eventually used on Tristan Thompson) in exchange for Gay, but Memphis rejected the deal.

Another report had the Cavs "exploring some sort of deal" in an effort to land Gay, and it's obvious that the team is looking for a new superstar to build around.

While there are several areas of improvement for the Cavs in an effort to escape the cellar in the post-LeBron era, production from the wing should be at the forefront of every conversation when discussing how the team can improve.

The Cavs pulled off a swap of Omri Casspi for J.J. Hickson just after the 2010-11 NBA season ended, and while Casspi's addition will certainly help, it's going to take much more than his arrival to turn around this club.

How It Could Happen: Trade

Gay is currently on a maximum contract in Memphis, and he's signed through the 2014-15 season.

With nearly $70 million remaining on his deal, the only potential way for Gay to join the team has to be via trade.

The Cleveland roster rather bare of assets that a rising Memphis Grizzlies team would be interested in, the Cavs are going to have to get really creative in an effort to land him in a new uniform.

Not only would Gay give the team a legitimate star to build around, but he would also turn Cleveland into a far more attractive free agent destination for some players who may be looking for a fresh start.

The club really needs to add some more dynamic sources of offense in an effort to get this thing turned around sooner rather than later, and it's going to take something drastic to turn the Cavs into a competitive team in the foreseeable future.

Potential Trade: Three-Team Deal

Cleveland receives: SF Rudy Gay

Cleveland receives a much-needed star to build around going forward.

Memphis receives: SG Monta Ellis, SF Dorell Wright

Despite trading Gay, the Grizzlies get a legitimate backcourt mate to pair with Mike Conley who may prove to be a better long-term fit with the club.

Additionally, Wright's emergence in his first season with Golden State would make him a logical candidate to be the sixth man for a Memphis team that is suddenly loaded with talent.

Golden State receives: PF Antawn Jamison, SG Xavier Henry, future first-round pick from both Cleveland and Memphis, future second-round pick from Cleveland

Although Golden State doesn't upgrade the players on the roster, this move really sets the club up for a serious run in 2012 and beyond.

Jamison has a sizable expiring contract, and the Warriors have two future first-round picks that could both be valuable trade chips going forward.

The 2012-13 payroll for the team would be well below $40 million, providing for significant financial flexibility to retool in a premium free agent class.

How Gay Fits with the Cavs

Gay would immediately slide into the Cleveland starting lineup at the small forward spot and become the priority option in the offense.

Although many focus on his offensive productivity rather than his defensive skills, the latter definitely should not be ignored as he really contributes at that end of the floor as well.

His athleticism is another underappreciated element of what he can bring to the team, and with a young group of players like Cleveland currently has, Gay's veteran leadership could be precisely what pushes the team in the right direction.

He would also allow Cleveland to use the recently acquired Casspi in a more creative role, and there's no question that the Cavs would be a better team with Gay.

Chances of Cavs Winning a Championship with Gay

A harsh sense of realism for Cavs fans: a championship is not coming anytime soon.

Even if the team is able to acquire Gay's services, this is about far more than adding No. 22 to the team.

In the midst of a massive overhaul, they have aging veterans like Antawn Jamison and Baron Davis eating a massive chunk of payroll on the roster, and while there is some intriguing youth in Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Casspi, there are simply too many holes at too many positions to even consider this team for the playoffs—let alone the championship.

As we've seen with Gay's current team (Memphis) or with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it doesn't take long for an NBA team to turn it around if the proper moves are made, but it appears that a quick fix isn't really an option for Cleveland given how the team is built.

The Cavs have a lot of decisions to make and many player evaluations to go through if anyone is even going to consider the team for a playoff berth in a rapidly improving Eastern Conference, and thoughts of a potential championship appearance are likely many years away.

Chances of Gay Winding Up in Cleveland

Current Chances: Five percent

The Cavs have tried on multiple instances to land Gay, but the team has been rebuffed by Memphis every time.

While that tune could certainly change at any time from the Grizzlies' perspective, it's currently hard to imagine the team dealing Gay considering how sorely the club missed his production down the stretch before fading in the postseason.

With how well the Grizzlies showed out last season as a rapidly improving group in the changing landscape of the Western Conference, Memphis is likely eager to see what a full season from Gay could provide.

Cleveland would have to really come strongly with an unbelievable offer to get Memphis owner Michael Heisley to even consider dealing Gay, and that makes the current prospect of him changing uniforms extraordinarily slight.