Rudy Gay salary details: How much is he set to earn for 2023-24 season?

Rudy Gay, 36 years old, is a forward in the NBA and plays for the Utah Jazz. Gay exercised his player option and is set to earn $6.4 million for the 2023-24 season. However , according to a recent trade reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, Rudy Gay and a second-round draft pick are being sent to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for John Collins.

Gay averaged 5.2 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 assists per game the past season. His contract as opposed to Collins' has allowed the Atlanta Hawks to drop far below the $182.5 million second apron and beneath the $165 million luxury tax threshold for the upcoming season.

The Hawks were keen to get rid of John Collins' contract who was owed $78 million over the next three seasons. Collins has two years and more than $51 million left on his contract, plus a $26.5 million deal in the 2025-26 season.

However, his declining performance does not warrant the money. This trade has allowed the Hawks to create a $25.3 million trade exception that can be used to take on a new player's contract over the next year.

The Hawks will look to bolster their roster over the coming year given the flexibility they have now after offloading Collins' contract. It would also give the Hawks the opportunity to negotiate better contracts with players like Dejounte Murray and Onyeka Okongwu.

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Rudy Gay to Atlanta Hawks: Hawks updated depth chart

Atlanta Hawks v Boston Celtics - Game Five

Despite the reported trade for Rudy Gay, the Hawks' depth chart will not change much. Rudy Gay is in the last few years of his career and likely won't see many minutes as a Hawk.

Here is the potential starting five for the Atlanta Hawks for the upcoming season:

PG: Trae Young

SG: Dejounte Murray

SF: De'Andre Hunter

PF: Jalen Johnson

C: Clint Capela

The most noticeable change in this starting five is the replacement of John Collins for Jalen Johnson. Collins averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists last season. Johnson averaged 5.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 49.1% shooting. Of course, Collins played almost twice as many minutes as Johnson.

The Atlanta Hawks will definitely have a gap to fill on the offensive and defensive end with Collins no longer on the roster. While Jalen Johnson can cover up in some areas, the Hawks will look to make moves this offseason to bolster their roster.

After offloading the Collins contract, the Hawks should not have any problems with their salary cap when looking for new additions to their roster. With a good signing, the Hawks could position themselves for a deep playoff run in 2023-24.