Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks reacts to the referees during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Philips Arena on December 5, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox)
The Paul Millsap sweepstakes continue to dominate the NBA trade rumors beat as two Western teams throw their hat into the fray.
It's not everyday that a certified top 20 player becomes available so despite the risk of Paul Millsap leaving via free agency at the end of the season, teams are making a bid.
Millsap can make a difference to a team, pushing a contender to the next level or taking a fringe playoff team straight to the postseason. The latter is what the New Orleans Pelicans have in mind.
According to Mike Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Pelicans have expressed interest in Millsap. The details of the trade package has not been revealed as yet, but in principle, trading for Millsap makes a lot of sense especially since the Pelicans are now using Anthony Davis at center.
In that light, the Pelicans centers Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca are probably the pieces they are disposing. However, Asik has a huge contract that now looks unjustified and they may have to add an asset to trade him off-let alone get someone like Millsap in return.
Will the Pelicans GM Dell Demps, who's reportedly on the hot seat, be able to pull off a coup? It would be tough since other teams are also on the Millsap chase. The Sacramento Kings have expressed interest for him and it signals an interest into building a playoff team instead of trading DeMarcus Cousins and rebuilding.
The reports were compiled by Sactown Royalty that confirmed the Kings being involved in the bidding war. It was reported that the Hawks are asking for Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson from the Toronto Raptors (and they are likely to comply with that) so the onus is on the Kings, Pelicans and others to outbid that.
Rudy Gay could be the centerpiece for a Kings' package but like Millsap, he is also a free agent at the end of the season. The Hawks will probably ask for young talent like Willie Cauley-Stein, probably the most desirable Kings player not named Cousins, and other assets.
It would be a reasonable trade if Millsap somehow reassures the Kings that he would re-sign. That's a stretch for Sacramento considering all the other teams that will pursue the All-Star forward.
