He has averaged 23.5 minutes per game, compared to his career number of 35.2. So far this season, Gay has played 25 of the Spurs’ 27 games. Gay appears to be another player who has managed to shake the Achilles curse. Some of this, however, can be attributed to his age, as he was 39 when he retired.
Wilkins averaged 26.2 points before the injury, and 25.2 per game in the five seasons after. Of prominent players who injured their Achilles, only Dominique Wilkins was able to average similar numbers after his injury. The legendary Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons had his Hall of Fame career ended at age 32 by a complete tear of the Achilles. The problem with players who tear their Achilles is they usually have a lot lower numbers after their injury. The Spurs signed him without seeing him play a game since then. Over the summer, the San Antonio Spurs did just that on Rudy Gay. Have you ever taken a gamble on a horse that came up lame in the last race it ran? This is not usually a wise bet to make. The San Antonio Spurs did this over the summer when they signed Rudy Gay. Expect more Kentucky-related names you haven't heard just yet to pop up as we inch closer to the deadline.By Matthew Hallett 4 years ago Follow TweetĮvery so often, a team takes an educated gamble on a player. Eric Bledsoe has been mentioned in connection with a trade to the New York Knicks, which would only add to the Kentucky Knicks hype. Lyles is hardly the only BBNBA name being tossed around as a potential trade chip, either. Lyles signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Spurs during the summer of 2019 as the replacement piece for Marcus Morris, who spurned San Antonio in order to join the New York Knicks. He showed signs during his 2017-18 campaign with the Denver Nuggets that he could one day fill out as a low-level starter, but he has not shown much of that since then. One can guess that Lyles and his camp want out of the Alamo City so he can find more playing time elsewhere. He played sparingly early in the season, stepping on the court in one game before failing to appear in the next two. 24-March 14 (seven as a starter), Lyles has received DNP-Coach's Decisions the last five outings for San Antonio. After playing eight games in a row from Feb. Lyles is actually shooting 48.3 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc, but he has yet to find a steady role within the rotation. He's only made 22 appearances for the Spurs this season, including nine as a starter, although most of his extended playing time came as a result of injuries to the players ahead of him. Now in his sixth NBA season, Lyles is averaging career-lows in points (5.0) and minutes (15.7) per game. Multiple league sources mentioned Trey Lyles and his representatives are interested in a new destination for the 25-year-old forward and that the Spurs are also open to moving Rudy Gay in the final year of his contract. Over a week later, another familiar name is being tossed around as a potential trade asset: Trey Lyles of the San Antonio Spurs and former Wildcat during the 2014-15 season.Īccording to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, Lyles and his team are searching for a new home ahead of the 3 p.m. Hamidou Diallo was the first domino to fall, being shipped off from the Oklahoma City Thunder to his new home with the Detroit Pistons. With the amount of Kentucky Wildcats trickled throughout the league, at least one of them is bound to find themselves in a new situation ahead of the deadline. With the NBA trade deadline less than 24 hours away, the rumor mill is churning at an all-time high.