UConn in the NBA: Rudy Gay signs with the San Antonio Spurs

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, former UConn star Rudy Gay has signed with the San Antonio Spurs. The deal is for two years, worth $17 million, although Gay has a player option for the second year.

Gay became a free agent after declining his $14 million player option with the Sacramento Kings. It will be quite the change of scenery for Gay going from one of the worst teams in the league to San Antonio, one of the premier franchises with future Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich.

After tearing his achilles in January, it’s unclear if Gay will be ready for the start of the season. Even when he does return, he may not be the same player as he was before the injury given that a ruptured achilles is one of the most difficult injuries to overcome for a basketball player.

Prior to his injury, Gay averaged 18.7 points and shot 45.5 percent from the field in 30 games with the Kings.

The Spurs will be Gay’s fourth team in his 13-year NBA career. He was originally drafted No. 8 overall in 2006 by the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played his first seven seasons. In 2013, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors.

Gay was traded again the following season to the Kings. He played parts of four seasons in Sacramento before opting out of his contract this summer.