Divac: Kings are going to keep Gay, McLemore

Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore are both going to be wearing Sacramento Kings colors as long as possible if general manager Vlade Divac has his way.

Despite the abundance of trade rumors surrounding the two wings, Divac told SiriusXM NBA Radio's Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson on Sunday that he doesn't intend to move either player.

"Just joking around the other day ... I said, 'We like you so much, that’s why we decided to keep you here,'" Divac said of Gay. "Rudy is a tremendous talent. He’s somebody that is beautiful to watch, the way he plays. We think Rudy is a big, big part of this team to be successful. So, we decide to go with him. And if he decides to stay next year, that’s great. If he decides to leave, that’s fine. But we want to make sure we compete this year."

Gay has a player option of $14.2 million for the 2017-18 season, reportedly informing the Kings that he will opt out of his contract and is unlikely to negotiate a new contract. Considering his lack of commitment, Divac is certainly rolling the dice on Sacramento finding enough success to convince the 30-year-old to change his mind, although recent history would indicate the Kings will continue to dwell near the bottom of the Western Conference.

As far as McLemore is concerned, Divac acknowledges that he's shopped his name around to potential buyers, but even so, he sees a ton of upside in McLemore and isn't willing to give up on him just yet.

"It’s part of business," Divac added. "You’re going to receive a lot of calls. You’re going to make a lot of calls. We are very happy with Ben, the way he’s progressing this summer. He’s a very young player that we – like I said – we like a lot. So, we’re going to keep him."

McLemore is coming off his worst season in Sacramento to date, averaging just 7.8 points on 42.9 percent shooting. He also contributed 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 53 starts and 68 total appearances.