Tony Allen strongly believes that the Memphis Grizzlies could’ve won at least one NBA championship if they had managed to keep Rudy Gay in their ranks, especially during the 2011 playoffs, where they upset the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
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The Memphis Grizzlies eventually traded Gay to the Toronto Raptors in 2013, and the team made their deepest playoff run in franchise history, reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time. However, they didn’t have enough firepower to beat the San Antonio Spurs, and a healthy Gay could’ve made the difference.
“And I truly believed that had you not got hurt bro, we woulda won a championship bro. We had post play A+, point guard A+, we had a bench, lockdown defense… and the only thing that was missing was the prolific prototype guy that who you is,” Allen told Gay on the Out the Mud podcast.
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“When you got traded bro, it took me like a good week or so… And I be like, ‘Why the f**k did that make sense?’ But once you realize the business and s**t of it all, you understand it,” he added.
Memphis Grizzlies forward listed as the team’s x-factor in 2025-26
The Memphis Grizzlies are vying for the playoffs with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. as the team’s cornerstones. They have a supporting cast headlined by Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr., Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Santi Aldama, and Logan Struck of SI named Aldama as their biggest x-factor.
“The 24-year-old forward has been steadily improving throughout his four-year career and earned a three-year contract worth $52.5 million to stay in Memphis. Now, he should become one of Memphis’ most important players as they look to improve with a new-look team,” Struck wrote.
“Aldama’s potential has always been through the roof, and the 2025-26 season could be his opportunity to step closer to his ceiling…The Grizzlies desperately need Aldama to step up offensively next season, and he should ultimately be the team’s biggest X-factor as they look to hang with the best in the Western Conference,” he concluded.
