Rudy Gay is unhappy with the Sacramento Kings. He’s made that a very known thing in the past. The Kings are a team with a muddled direction as of late. Coaching changes, an often disgruntled superstar, players in legal troubles and even questionable draft moves have both the Kings fans and players wondering. What is going on?
Rudy Gay has been the most vocal player in questioning the Kings and their motives. He’s now 30 years old, so the clock is ticking. It appears that he’s not very pleased with spending whatever is left of his prime on a team that is not bound for the playoffs.
Following from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo! Sports.
Forward Rudy Gay has informed Sacramento Kings management that he plans to use his 2017 player option to become an unrestricted free agent and considers himself unlikely to negotiate a new deal to return to the franchise, league sources told The Vertical.
Sacramento has shown no inclination to move Gay without a substantial package in return, league sources told The Vertical. Several teams have engaged the Kings in trade talks, but teams say those conversations have yet to find traction. Some teams have been unclear with what exactly Sacramento wants in return, and others say the asking price is too unreasonable.
Nevertheless, Sacramento hasn’t ruled out trading Gay, but the team wants to compete for the playoffs, and team officials believe there are few, if any, deals available that could offer them short-term value on Gay, sources said.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive is determined to hold on to Gay, whom he considers a vital talent with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins as the Kings move into a new arena this season. Ranadive has told associates that he believes he can change Gay’s mind this year and persuade him to stay, league sources said.
Gay’s lack of faith in ownership’s ability to create a sustainable, winning environment has strongly influenced his decision-making process, league sources told The Vertical.
Marc J. Spears of ‘The Undefeated’ on ESPN added to Woj’s report.
Rudy Gay told The Undefeated, “It wasn’t rocket science,” to decide he’ll opt out of contract with Kings after next season. Woj reported 1st
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) September 19, 2016
