With breaking news arriving before the Raptors game in Los Angeles that Rudy Gay was the main piece of a trade between the Kings and the Raptors, the Raptors finally found a suitor for their unwanted athletic wing.
ESPN have confirmed that in exchange for Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy, the Raptors will receive John Salmons, Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes.
This is the move that new Raptors GM, Masai Ujiri, has been trying to make since he started in Toronto and he has finally found a team willing to accept Gay’s giant contract ($17.8mil this season and a player option for $19.3mil in 2014-15).
Rudy was not having the best season prior to the trade – 38.8% FG% and a 15.9 PER with one of the highest usage rates in the NBA – this contributed to the Raptors horrible 6-12 record.
So will a change of scenery be enough to turn his game around and revive him into the player the Grizzlies thought they were getting when they signed him to his massive five year, $82mil deal in 2010?
If I had to choose a trade location for Gay that would give him an opportunity to shine, the Sacramento Kings would not be high on the list.
Team chemistry has been a problem in the last few years under any coach and the core group is young and have lingering question marks over their maturity.
Given Gay’s unorthodox leadership attempts in Toronto like his ban on stats sheets in the locker room post game I don’t really see him being the missing piece to pull this franchise into line.
While the Kings get an upgrade over John Salmons at the SF position, they lose a starting quality PG in Vasquez – although Isaiah Thomas was going to start sooner or later – and now have to decide on a suitable backup PG between Jimmer Fredette and Ray McCallum.
With two high usage players that like to have the ball in their hands (DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas) and role players that aren’t exactly known for their willingness to pass (Marcus Thornton and Derrick Williams) what will Rudy Gay’s role be in the new look Kings line-up?
Defensively he will be able to guard the wing like previous Kings players (Salmons, Evans, Outlaw) couldn’t so that should improve their abysmal defence (ranked 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions).
The worry comes on the offensive end given his love of long range jump shots and the accompanying low FG% that comes with it (41% over the last two seasons).
Unless he develops his game to be more like Andre Iguodala and include more passing I don’t see the Kings as a great fit for Rudy and things have the potential to get uglier for the Kings (if that is possible) if Cousins doesn’t like Gay taking some of his shots.
This reeks of a new owner being impatient soon after buying a franchise and trading for a player that: a) on face value isn’t worth the contract, and b) doesn’t fit with their current roster.
The verdict won’t be ready for this one until the end of the season but early indications are not good for the Kings.
Roarers, how do you evaluate the trade and who do you think got the better deal?
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