The Sacramento Kings have reportedly made Rudy Gay available for trade this offseason along with others on the roster. Gay has since voiced his frustrations with the franchise, leading Kings general manager Vlade Divac to encourage Gay to reach out by phone.
Apparently, Divac and Gay did have a chance to speak.
Following from Sean Cunningham of ABC 10:
Following those comments, Gay told ABC10 on Thursday afternoon that he had since spoken with Divac.
“I have talked to Vlade,” Gay said from his Nike Skills Academy at Hardwood Palace in Rocklin. “I can’t say since Monday stuff has changed, but I just feel like we have a little bit of time to start changing things.”
Gay, who will be entering his 11th NBA season, has insisted he hasn’t demanded a trade and should he remain a member of the Kings by the time training camp opens in October, he says he’ll report and be ready to go.
“At this point in my career I just want to be happy,” said Gay. “I talked to Vlade and we’re trying to make that happen.”
Moving on from Gay seems to be in the Kings’ plans, but Divac’s attempt to connect with him might suggest otherwise. Gay is the only other true scorer they have outside of DeMarcus Cousins, so letting him go would mean putting more stock into their younger assets. If a team was eager enough to acquire Gay, a deal may have been done by now, but more time is likely needed to execute what the Kings would consider worthwhile.
Gay has spent the last three seasons with Sacramento, and the team is headed nowhere fast. Set to make $13-14 million for the next two seasons, Gay isn’t an attractive, quick-hitter trade, though he does hold value as a veteran still able to score the ball. If the organization is truly dedicated to helping Gay be happy at this point, and for the remainder of his career, more trade scenarios should re-surface, whether before the start of the 2015-16 season or in the time leading up to the February trade deadline.
