Rudy

Gay

Gay and McGruder faced long odds to make the Warriors’ opening night roster, as both were with the team on training camp deals. According to reports, the Warriors plan on going into the season with 13 players under contract, likely adding a 14th to the roster within the first few weeks. The exits of Gay and McGruder will not impact fantasy basketball.

The veteran will provide frontcourt depth for his new team, but he’s not on the fantasy radar. Gay averaged just 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds across 16.8 minutes per contest over two seasons with the Jazz, and he’s in the twilight of his career.

The development is no surprise, as Gay’s career calendar doesn’t line up with that of most Thunder players. Also, the team has 19 players on guaranteed contracts for next season, and NBA teams are only allowed 15. While a solid veteran presence, Gay didn’t offer much production with the Jazz last season. He may be able to catch on with another team for the veteran’s minimum, but this would not impact fantasy basketball.

Traded to the Hawks as part of the deal that sent John Collins to the Jazz, Gay is on the move again. While he could potentially serve as an experienced voice in the Oklahoma City locker room, it’s possible that the team will look to move Gay to acquire more draft assets. Regardless of what Sam Presti decides, Gay is unlikely to offer much fantasy value next season.

In order for the two teams to make the deal happen, Gay had to exercise his player option worth more than $6.4 million for the 2023-24 season. He’s done that, and the transaction will become official by league standards on July 6. While Gay could potentially provide the Hawks with additional frontcourt depth, this was a move made by the Hawks in order to get under the luxury tax. The veteran forward wasn’t a fantasy factor in Utah, and that’s unlikely to change in Atlanta. However, the trade is good news for fantasy managers hoping to see more of Jalen Johnson, who could be worth taking a late-round flier on in drafts.

Luka Samanic has been the starting power forward with Markkanen and Gay sidelined. He signed a deal through next season on Thursday and should continue to be a reliable option over their final two games. Simone Fontecchio and Juan Toscano-Anderson should play decent roles off the bench as well.

Gay remains sidelined, and his continued absence will not impact fantasy basketball in any way.

Gay will miss another game, but he hardly plays when he’s healthy, so his absence won’t make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Gay’s continued absence will not impact fantasy basketball, as he wasn’t a consistently productive option when healthy.

Gay missed Friday and Saturday’s games, and he’ll remain out on Monday. However, he hasn’t made much of an impact in fantasy this season, which won’t change in his continued absence.