The Sacramento Kings have a quandary on their hands. Rudy Gay has yet to be traded and the Chicago Bulls are perhaps the perfect team for him. What has taken so long for the Kings to move Rudy Gay?
It has been a couple of weeks since Gay had reportedly requested a trade , according to ESPN , from the Kings. Is it their asking price? Or are the Kings waiting for the dust to settle in free agency? The Bulls would like to know.
Now that NBA Summer League is over and free agency has nearly come to a close, teams are just about done sorting through what they have. What is known is that Rudy Gay is still on the trading block , according to Real GM . What is also known is that the Bulls and Kings have discussed the idea of a Rudy Gay trade, according to a previous report by the Inquisitr .
Another fact is that because Rudy Gay can opt for free agency next season, the Kings will not be able to get a lot for him, and keeping him would be risking losing him for nothing next July.
Most of the title contenders have their rosters set, with no major changes on the horizon. Teams like the Chicago Bulls, and to a lesser extent, the Kings appear to have their rosters in place with a couple of holes here and there. A swap seems imminent to fill the gaps.
Going into today the Kings have 19 players under contract. Many of those players are on non-guaranteed deals, but for now it appears that the Kings will take most of them to NBA training camp in September.
Kings Still Searching For Rudy Gay Trade: https://t.co/psNlXJ0HU6 pic.twitter.com/QX8l6vgyrP
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 19, 2016
Of the 19 players, neither of them are a candidate to be a starter at power forward. Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos are solid players. One is still too raw, while the other is more of an energy player. The Kings could use a stopgap at the four until Cauley-Stein is ready to take over.
The Bulls do not have a ton of depth at power forward, but they may want to move Taj Gibson in an effort to help second-year forward Bobby Portis develop. It is likely that the Bulls will offer Gibson and perhaps Tony Snell for Rudy Gay.
Portis was a star for the Bulls in the Las Vegas Summer League. His numbers of 17.3 points and 9.4 rebounds, over seven games were tops on the Bulls. Portis has a visibly improved jump shot that now extends behind the three-point arc. He shot a remarkable 41 percent from distance. That is a shot which will only improve over time. Since the Bulls need players who can stretch the floor, it only makes sense for them to give Bobby Portis as much playing time as possible. In order to make that happen the Bulls need to move Taj Gibson or Nikola Mirotic.
Mirotic likely would not be used in a trade for Rudy Gay because he can occasionally make three-pointers. If say the trade would become a larger one for DeMarcus Cousins, the Bulls would include Mirotic.
The only natural small forward on the Bulls is Doug McDermott, therefore the need is there for a player such as Rudy Gay.
Both the Bulls and Kings can help each other with a Rudy Gay for Taj Gibson swap. The Bulls and Kings need to define the direction of their franchises.
With the additions of Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, the Chicago Bulls believe they are a playoff team. Bringing in Rudy Gay only solidifies that. As long as the chemistry is a mix, the Bulls could wind up competing for a No. 2 seed. Bringing in Gay gives the Bulls’ lineup some balance. If he were to start for the Bulls, he would play in the stretch-four role. Gay is more reliable from distance than Mirotic at this stage. And as far as defense and rebounding is concerned, he is a slight upgrade.
If Rudy Gay is acquired by the Bulls he could also come off the bench and provide a scoring punch with the second unit. Although, doing such would take away minutes from McDermott.
Do the Sacramento Kings see themselves as a playoff team in the Western Conference? If so, they need some veteran leadership with playoff experience. Taj Gibson can provide that.
Age is one knock on Gibson, but he is still a solid defender, who can guard multiple positions. His willingness to do the dirty work, such as set screens, box out and contest shots, makes him a perfect fit for the Kings. Gibson could also help with the development of the Kings’ young bigs. He can teach them how to play the game the right way. Such is an undervalued attribute in the NBA. Teams with sage veterans learn the game and learn how to win.
Eventually the Sacramento Kings will trade Rudy Gay to another team. It not be a surprise if Gay lands with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have the power forward that the Kings need to establish themselves as an NBA playoff contender. Gay is the missing piece to give the Bulls the balance their lineup lacks. It is possible that something gets done soon with the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls, unless another team emerges.
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