The Indiana Pacers continue to be one of the most active teams of the NBA offseason.
The Pacers have engaged in trade talks with the Sacramento Kings regarding swingman Rudy Gay, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein, having already swung trades for point guard Jeff Teague and power forward Thaddeus Young and agreed to a free-agent contract with center Al Jefferson.
The Kings remain interested in Pacers shooting guard Monta Ellis - who they tried and failed to recruit as a free agent last summer - but the Pacers prefer to trade reserve combo-guard Rodney Stuckey, according to Stein's sources.
Gay would represent a talent upgrade over either Ellis or Stuckey, but it's unclear where he'd slot in on a team that has Paul George firmly entrenched at the three. George, Gay, and Young are all essentially interchangeable at either forward spot, but it's difficult to imagine all three playing together, given Young's lack of range and Gay's defensive shortcomings. The Pacers, it seems, would prefer to simply compile the best players possible, and figure out fit later.
Gay can also opt out of his contract next summer. The 29-year-old averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals for the Kings this past season, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range.
