The NBA trade rumors are heating up after the end of free agency and the draft. There are still a lot of teams that need to make adjustments.
The Sacramento Kings are one of them and they have officially declared the team open for business, even if their hottest commodity is still not for sale (officially).
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the Kings have already placed three players on the block.
"Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay has emerged as one of the most established NBA veterans available via trade, according to league sources," Stein wrote. "Sources told ESPN that the Kings are actively seeking to move Gay as well as big man Kosta Koufos and guard Ben McLemore."
Gay has caught the interest of various teams like the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls. The Pacers were reportedly offering Monta Ellis but the Kings were not interested, according to reports.
One team that could benefit from trading for Rudy Gay is the LA Clippers. The Clippers have a vacancy at the small forward spot and even though there are reports that Paul Pierce would return and not retire, at his age, he can only play very limited minutes.
Gay could join a starting five with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul and JJ Redick. He could play a key role especially when they match up against the Golden State Warriors and Kevin Durant.
According to Hoops Habit, the Clippers would be the top destination for Gay in terms of fit and also for his career (playing for a playoff team), not to mention he gets to stay in California. "The reality is, all the Clippers are only missing is a starting-caliber small forward who can create their own offense-the definition of Rudy Gay's game," Maxwell Ogden of HH stated.
Unfortunately, HH also admits that the Clippers are not a team geared for trades. It is not clear what the Kings are asking for in exchange for Gay but it is presumed that the team needs a point guard.
One possible solution for this is a three-way trade. The Clippers could build interest for their rookies, whom they also got via trades. The good news for the Clippers is that there are a number of tradable assets on the roster. "Cheick Diallo, Brice Johnson, David Michineau, and Diamond Stone all have value, which opens the door for a three-team deal to be made," Ogden suggested.
While that would be complicated and it would also mortgage the future to lose young talent, the Clippers are on the clock with CP3 and Griffin possibly entering free agency at the end of the season. They should focus on winning now.