Rudy Gay will likely get traded this NBA offseason and it is possible that he will get traded to the Chicago Bulls . If and when Gay gets traded it will be one of the few expected moves to take place in an NBA offseason that has been full of surprises thus far.
There is a lot of moving and shaking going around in the NBA. The latest chatter involves the Sacramento Kings and forward Rudy Gay. According to several media outlets, including Uproxx , Gay has requested that the Kings trade him this offseason, and it appears that the Kings will accommodate his request.
It has been confirmed that the Kings have officially begun working the telephone trying to find a trade partner for a Rudy Gay swap. Because Gay will only make $13.3 million next season there will be a litany of interested teams. The Kings will entertain offers from several of them, but will they receive an offer that they like?
It is unclear when Rudy Gay asked for the trade, but he wants out of Sacramento. One team can be eliminated from the discussion unless another player is added to the deal.
According a tweet from Ailene Voisin, do not look for the Kings to deal with the Indiana Pacers for Monta Ellis.
Kings attempting to trade Rudy Gay (per his request), but adamant that they have no interest in Monta Ellis.
— Ailene Voisin (@ailene_voisin) July 8, 2016
Indiana is not the only team interested, or should be interested in Rudy Gay.
Any team that is looking to be a bonafide contender ought to place a call with the Sacramento Kings. Teams which are on the cusp like the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves may place a call. As well as the Pacers, they cannot include Ellis in any deals with the Kings. All trades will be rebuffed.
That may leave the Chicago Bulls as the last team standing in all of the Rudy Gay trade talks, as long as the Bulls can offer the Kings an acceptable deal. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Bulls are among the teams embarking in preliminary trade talks with the Kings for the forward.
The Bulls have a couple of trade chips in power forwards Taj Gibsonand Nikola Mirotic. Both players will be competing for a spot in the Bulls’ starting lineup if they are not traded. And the best bet is that it would not be Mirotic, but Gibson who the Bulls will offer in a trade.
In the right situation, Taj Gibson is a player who can average a double-double throughout the season. His ability to score in the low post and shot-blocking skills makes him a valuable asset on any team, especially for a Kings’ squad which is looking for some veteran leadership. That is not to say a trade consisting of Rudy Gay for Taj Gibson can happen as an even deal. The Bulls will have to add something else as a sweetener to make any deal with the Sacramento Kings take place.
Both Gay and Gibson are on affordable contracts considering today’s NBA salary cap. Their impact on the NBA game is slightly different.
Gay is offensive-minded as a player. He has the ability to be a good defender due to his length. The Bulls need an outside shooter to go with the newly added Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Gay can provide shooting as a player in the starting lineup or coming off the bench as a sixth-man.
Taj Gibson is the polar opposite. He is defense-oriented, yet he has the ability to score inside when he is needed. Gibson also has a solid range on his jumper, which can extend to about 18 or 19 feet. In a sense, a swap of both players could be the cure-all for the Kings and Bulls. Unfortunately, the NBA does work that way. Statistics, whether hollow numbers or not will steer the conversation of a Rudy Gay trade into another direction.
Because Gay averaged 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds a game with the Kings last season. That will lead the team to believe that his trade value requires an astronomical return, when in fact, a trade for the Bulls’ Taj Gibson would be an even trade, or a deal that gives the Kings a slight advantage.
Rudy Gay has a real plus-minus of 0.17. Taj Gibson, on the other hand, was 1.11.
Hearing 3 teams on West Coast ( #Clippers , #Kings , #Nuggets ) have contacted #Bulls about Tony Snell, who may be traded 4 a pick or cap relief
— Carlos Douglas Jr. (@TheRealC_Los) May 4, 2016
Gibson’s RPM will get looked over if the Bulls do not add either a future draft pick or a player whom the Kings deem have a solid upside.
Tony Snell is another Bulls’ player who could wind up in the trade.
It was reported that the Sacramento Kings are one of three teams who are interested in Snell, and might be interested in acquiring him from the Bulls. Snell would give the Kings a shooting guard who can develop into a solid rotational player on the cheap.
Originally, the Bulls were thinking that they can get a draft pick for him, but if the Bulls are truly in on Rudy Gay, Tony Snell is the secret chip that can get a deal done. A Bulls’ offer of Gibson, Snell, and a second-round pick is enough to bring in Gay.
Rudy Gay wants to get traded from the Sacramento Kings to elsewhere. The Chicago Bulls seem like a good match for a deal to get done. Do not be surprised to see the Kings and Bulls act fast on a trade. Something could go down in the next week or two with Rudy Gay going to the Bulls or somewhere else.
[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]