While Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey continues to seek trade packages that would bring in a frontcourt player, Sacramento Kings big man Kosta Koufos has suddenly emerged as a prime candidate in talks, ESPN’s Marc Stein reports.
Trade rumble: Houston has made no secret of its desire to add a big man and the Kings' Kosta Koufos, I'm told, has emerged as a prime target
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 30, 2016
Kosta Koufos, 27, is now entering the prime stages of his basketball career. With the Kings possessing star big man DeMarcus Cousins, along with 2015 lottery pick Willie Cauley-Stein, it’s no wonder why this team is open to dealing away Koufos: They already have respectable depth in the frontcourt.
The Kings are known to be open to dealing several players on its active roster. Names such as Rudy Gay, who one source said back in September was interested in both Miami and Houston, Omri Casspi, and Kosta Koufos will likely remain in the rumor mill until the deadline arrives.
For Houston, an unfortunate injury to Clint Capela has slightly cooled their momentum down, with the team now searching for immediate frontcourt insurance.
The Rockets have been dangling 10-year veteran forward Corey Brewer in trade discussions this season, ESPN’s Zach Lowe adds:
Have heard from a few teams HOU is dangling Brewer, which isn't getting them much traction. https://t.co/Lmtv6Ix2dZ
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) December 30, 2016
Should Houston and Sacramento manage to strike a deal, a prime candidate to be included in any package is Rudy Gay. Not only was Gay interested in Houston, but the Rockets also took an interest in him this past year, as well.
Rudy Gay has been pushing behind-the-scenes for a trade out of Sacramento, as several outlets have reported. One source told Def Pen’s Orazio Cauchi that Gay left his previous agency in September, Octagon, mainly because they weren’t able to find a suitable trade for him.
The Sacramento Kings are a group that always find themselves caught in the middle of trade discussions around this time of year, and, when combined with an aggressive Rockets’ Daryl Morey, these two teams could manage to strike a formidable deal.
Houston holds the No. 3 seed out West, and could be one simple trade away from legitimately striking fear into rival contenders — if they haven’t managed to do so already.
General manager Daryl Morey isn’t necessarily known to be a shy person around this time. Rather, he’s known to be someone constantly on the telephone doing anything in his power to improve his roster.
For the Kings’ Kosta Koufos and Rudy Gay, along with the Rockets’ Corey Brewer, it is looking increasingly likely that they will be among those traded away during this year’s annual trade season extravaganza.
