Sacramento Kings' Rudy Gay is rumored to be preferring to join Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder next season and Kyle Singler and Anthony Morrow could be included in the trade package to acquire the veteran small forward.
Reports recently went out that the 30-year-old Gay had informed the Kings of his intention to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The 10-year pro also reportedly said that he is planning to leave the club by then, which said to have increased the pressure on Sacramento to trade him as soon as possible.
However, the Kings are still hesitant to deal him at the moment as they want significant value in exchange for Gay's services and potential trade partners had been unwilling to give in to their demands.
Sacramento has been aiming to build a playoff roster around DeMarcus Cousins for the past couple of years and the team reportedly thinks that the recent trade offers for Gay so far have no short term benefits for them to reach their win-now goal.
Fansided suggested a deal with the Thunder could be a win-win solution for both clubs, although it is not yet clear what OKC "would be willing to deal in order to bring in" the high-scoring wingman to their side.
The report then proposed that a package including Singler and Morrow plus another "filler would work on the trade machine", but the question is would Sacramento bite it this time.
The Thunder may also have their apprehensions on Gay and letting go of that many assets may also not be comfortable for them, especially after Gay disclosed that he plans to become a free agent next summer.
Still, Gay has the potential to somehow fill-in the void Kevin Durant left at the number three position, particularly when it comes to scoring. Gay is also long-limbed enough to in some way provide the kind of defense Durant gave.
Sportsrageous noted that Gay "could be a short-term option for the Thunder" while they search for a true replacement for Durant. The former Connecticut standout proved that he can still be effective on both ends of the floor after producing good numbers for the Kings in the past two seasons.
Last season he averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 34.0 minutes of playing time per game. He was even better in 2014-2015 when he averaged a career-high 21.1 points and 3.7 assists, plus 5.9 boards per game in 35.4 minutes a night.
