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The drama surrounding Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins and coach George Karl will continue to dominate headlines, but Cousins isn't the only big name in Sacramento who may soon find himself elsewhere.
Buried in Adrian Wojnarowski's report for Yahoo Sports about Karl being on a mission to ship Cousins out of town was this interesting nugget:
For now, the Kings are pursuing trade scenarios for everyone on the roster, including talented forward Rudy Gay, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Sacramento officials believe it will be difficult to find a trade partner that can give the Kings the value it wants for Cousins – and has a better chance to find a deal for Gay, sources said.
The Kings acquired Gay from Toronto in an eight-player trade during the 2013-14 season, then signed the forward to a three-year, $40 million extension – which kicks in next season – last November.
Gay has certainly rebuilt his value in Sacramento, as after his high-usage inefficiency had become the butt of NBA jokes, Gay has averaged 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals on a true shooting percentage of 56.1 in parts of two seasons with the Kings, posting a player efficiency rating of 19.6.
Given owner Vivek Ranadive's win-now mentality, however, trading Gay (and even Cousins) wouldn't necessary signal a ground-up rebuild in Sac-Town, where the Kings haven't made the postseason since 2006. According to Wojnarowski, the Kings are looking to make deals with the hopes of clearing cap space, as the team and unrestricted free agent Rajon Rondo reportedly have a mutual interest.
Rondo, a four-time All-Star whose own reputation and value has taken a massive hit after a falling out with Rick Carlisle in Dallas, is "intrigued with the idea of a potential one-year deal in Sacramento that could help to rebuild his league-wide value," reports Wojnarowski.
A short-term deal is something that could be appealing to many free agents this summer, as the salary cap is set to soar with new television revenue in 2016 and 2017, meaning free agency will be more lucrative in a year or two.
Rondo made more than $12.9 million in the final year of a five-year contract this season. The Kings have over $53 million guaranteed committed to only seven players for next season, with the cap projected at $67.1 million.
