Kings' Rudy Gay: Will undergo surgery Monday

Gay (Achilles) was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery Monday.

Analysis:

Gay was diagnosed with a ruptured left Achilles tendon after exiting the Kings' Jan. 18 loss to the Pacers with the injury, which will require several months of rehab. It's an unfortunate setback for Gay, who could have been an appealing trade target for contending squads if the Kings decided to seek some form of compensation before he became an unrestricted free agent in July. It's possible that Gay may now elect to forgo free agency in light of the significant injury, as he may prefer to accept his $14.3 million player option for 2017-18 in an attempt to rebuild his value on the open market for the following summer. In the meantime, Garrett Temple is expected to serve as the Kings' starting small forward, while Gay's absence should also open up additional time for the likes of Anthony Tolliver, Matt Barnes and Arron Afflalo.