Nick Young and Lou Williams (Photo : Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers aren't interested to trade Nick Young and Lou Williams for veteran swingman Rudy Gay, contrary to reports that spread like wildfire the weekend before training camp officially starts.
The rumor gained steam following report by Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski on Gay already informing the Kings his decision to bolt out after the 2016-17 season.
He can extend his tenure with the Kings for another year by exercising his players' option worth $14 million, but his growing frustration with the team's direction prompted him to come up with the decision this early.
Many NBA writers consider Gay's move as the green light for the Kings to enter in any trade talks between now and the February trade deadline.
There are at least five teams expressing strong interest in the swingman, with the Houston Rockets, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics viewed as the front-runners.
Breaking down Lakers' pursuit of Gay:
The Gay to Lakers hoopla started to catch fire after FanSided writer Christian Rivas came up with an interesting article linking the purple-and-gold to a potential trade with division rivals Kings for the 30-year old Gay.
In the article, Rivas suggested a deal that would send Nick Young and Lou Williams to the Kings in exchange for arguably the most coveted swingman available on the trade market.
"A trade involving former Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams and Nick "Swaggy P" Young would do the trick, and it would actually make a ton of sense for the Kings," according to Rivas.
Financially, the trade appears to be a win-win move with the Lakers absorbing a potential expiring contract in exchange for Williams' deal ($14M over 2 years left) and a player (Young) whom they have been trying to unload the past two seasons.
On the other hand, the Lakers are in a rebuilding mode for a reason. Making the playoffs comes secondary for the Lakers right now. The team's top brass stressed that developing young talents like D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac is what the upcoming season all about, so adding a high-usage player like Gay doesn't make much sense.
In addition, not even one from the Lakers, Kings and Gay's camp has confirmed the report, particularly trade rumors. Major sports media sites like ESPN backed up the report, making it nothing more a rumor without legs.
