Indiana Pacers: 5 free agents to avoid in the offseason

The Indiana Pacers present a fundamental misfit for Rudy Gay

Veteran scorer and 15-year player Rudy Gay remains a potent offensive weapon in the league. Despite suffering a career-altering Achilles injury back in 2017, the 34-year-old rediscovered his touch with the San Antonio Spurs as a reliable bench piece for a team in transitioning from contention to rebuilding.

By all measures, Gay is a quintessential veteran. He’s amicable with players and coaches and is very conducive to his ever-changing roles. Even more, he’s still very serviceable despite his age and scary setback. And if it matters, which certainly does, he’s been coached by Gregg Popovich in the last four years.

Rudy Gay presents a misfit, however. He’s still a 2000s-style scorer who thrives mostly in the mid-range. While his three-point shooting stroke has improved, it doesn’t make a lot of genuine sense to pursue a player who, despite not falling behind to the modern game  and being a respected veteran, crowds an already thick frontcourt rotation.