It seems Rudy Gay of the Sacramento Kings has become the most sought-after player in the NBA. Aside from the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Houston Rockets are also looking to acquire him through a trade.
For some time now, trade rumors revolving around Gay have mentioned various big franchises in the league including the Bulls and Heat. Although the Bulls have reportedly been the most persistent team in getting him, a new rumor indicates that Gay in interested in the trade talks between Miami and Sacramento, according to Heat Nation.
Recently, Houston has joined the teams that are reportedly vying for Gay. As noted by Basketball Insiders, the Rockets have already expressed their interest in getting the small forward.
But, as pointed out by the site, the main problem regarding the potential trade involving Gay is his current value. For the upcoming season, Gay is expected to collect $13.3 million from the Kings. So, for him to get traded, the Kings would have to take a partial hit from his salary and find another team that's willing to take Gay even though his contract could end up being something like a one-year rental.
Apparently, this issue, as well as Gay's player option for the 2017-2018 NBA season, are the main factors deterring other teams from negotiation with Sacramento.
For the Rockets, however, this aren't very big problems. According to Inquisitr, the Houston franchise is pretty loaded and has enough cap space to not worry about Gay's player option. In addition, the team recently offered a contract extension to James Harden, which he agreed to.
With Harden's status with the team secured, the Rockets now have more flexibility regarding what they want to with their money, which includes taking on Gay's contract.
Like in any team, Gay would certainly make a great addition to Houston's lineup especially given the plays that Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni likes to use. Usually, the coach likes to run the clock with quick sets combined with offensive rebounding.
For this system, D'Antoni relies on at least two shooters and another one to man the low post. Harden is a very versatile player who has the experience and ability to take on any of these roles. Adding Gay to the mix would instantly give Harden an ally to run D'Antoni's system.
