NBA Rumors: Best free agent every team in Southwest Division should target

New Orleans Pelicans: Rudy Gay, PF/SF

The New Orleans Pelicans are a pretty complete team. Many of their players can play multiple positions which makes this exercise a bit more challenging. Their starting 5, on paper, is impressive and if things go well, they should find themselves in the playoffs and in the mix for a championship. That's a big if. Zion Williamson nor Brandon Ingram have the cleanest bills of health. For one of them to go down due to injury would be catastrophic for this Pelicans team. This is why they should invest in Rudy Gay's services.

The 37-year-old may not be as spry and athletic as he once was earlier in his career, but he's still just about as efficient as he's always been. He struggled mightily last season in Utah, but honestly, when looking at his 19 career seasons, it does seem more like an anomaly than a drastic drop-off in play. He'd fit in perfectly for this Pelicans team - he wouldn't be asked to do too much on offense, nor defense and they'd be able to put him out in lineups that mask his defensive deficiencies.

Gay brings with him loads of career experience. He has played with some of the league's best. The Pelicans won't need him to be Superman. Again, Gay is here for a good time not a long time. If the Pelicans are serious about making a run to the championship with its current core, they need to be realistic about keeping an eye on the number of minutes Ingram and Williamson play in the regular season. Rudy Gay acts as veteran minute insurance for the regular season to get their two young studs ready for a long playoff run.