The Rudy Gay to New Orleans trade rumors continue to heat up. On Thursday, rumors swirled that the Sacramento Kings forward was being offered in exchange for Ryan Anderson. Apparently, the Pelicans were not interested in that swap. They do, however, seem to have interest in trading for Gay through other means.
The following from Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski:
Sacramento and New Orleans have discussed a Rudy Gay trade, but the Kings are unwilling on a deal that would center on Eric Gordon and Alonzo Gee, league sources said.
I still do not see why the Pelicans would want to trade for Gay. The veteran forward is on a long term deal, under contract through next season with a player option for the following year. Additionally, he is a redundant player in New Orleans where there are plenty of perimeter players who do their best work with the ball in their hands and who cannot space the floor. Quincy Pondexter’s health has left a hole on the roster needing to be filled with a wing player who can shoot and defend. Gay does neither of those things at a high level.
On the other hand, the Kings could benefit from this trade. Gordon gives the team shooting around Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins. More importantly, he is a free agent this summer. So, if things do not work out, Sacramento can move on and save long-term money, giving them the ability to build around their core in free agency.
Somehow, the Pelicans were the ones interested in this trade and the Kings were the ones who rejected it.
