Social media has completely revolutionized the way the free agent recruitment process is done in the NBA. But things just might be getting a little bit out of hand now.
Two days after helping convince his good friend Rajon Rondo to sign with the Kings on a 1-year, $10 million deal, Rudy Gay is at it again. This time, the comrade he’s targeting is Rockets forward Josh Smith.
Late Saturday night, Gay took to the popular mobile app Snapchat to recruit the Midrange Shawty to Cowtown.
So Rudy Gay is drunkenly trying to recruit people via snapchat. pic.twitter.com/DAkhoF7hrB
— Bradley Geiser (@therealbradg) July 5, 2015
The sad part is that this is only, like, the eighth weirdest thing to happen with Sacramento this offseason.
Smith, 29, poses one of the great enigmas in the NBA, Gay’s less-than-flattering Snap of him notwithstanding. He is a player whose strengths (two-way playmaking, athleticism, etc.) are greatly subtracted from by his weaknesses (inefficiency, turnovers, cardiac arrest-inducing shot clanking). Smith was able to partially rehab his image with the Houston Rockets last year after being unceremoniously cut midseason by the Detroit Pistons. He is an unrestricted free agent who still has yet to sign with a team.
Gay’s recruiting efforts aren’t totally out of the blue as the Kings had interest in trading for Smith as early as last season. As it turns out, I’m almost rooting for a Smoove/Sacto marriage because of what a spectacular comedy of errors it would be. Rondo, Smith, Gay, and Boogie Cousins all trying to share one basketball? A quartet that would chase records for inefficiency and missed shots night in and night out? All while the NBA’s Three Stooges, Vivek Ranadive, Vlade Divac, and George Karl, preside over the detonation experiment? Count me in!
While Gay’s recruiting tactics are a little, say, less than conventional, it’s at least good to see him acting in Sacramento’s best interest while out clubbing on the weekend. Let’s just call Rudy Gay “Evil Chandler Parsons.”
H/T CBS Sports
