The LA Lakers continue to be included in NBA trade rumors and that's actually a good thing. Is Rudy Gay a worthy target?
Apparently, the Lakers brass thought so. Before the trade deadline, there were rumored talks between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings that centered on Rudy Gay. According to Morning News USA, the Lakers were willing to trade Jordan Clarkson and throw in Lou Williams to acquire Gay, although the initial offer was Roy Hibbert, who was still with the Lakers at that time and coveted because he was a huge expiring contract.
"The Kings could, however, benefit from the inclusion of Williams and Clarkson - who currently form the starting backcourt for the Purple & Gold," the report stated.
Obviously, the talks did not progress and Gay is still with the Kings with a public trade demand that reduces his trade value (or at least, the leverage of the Sacramento Kings). The Lakers would not (and cannot) trade Jordan Clarkson for Gay but could a different variation work out?
Gay is a small forward but his ideal fit for the Lakers could be as a small-ball stretch four. He can score on his own and provide mismatches for the opposing team. The Lakers still have a roster spot as mentioned by Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders and they have been rumored to be waiting for "an opportunistic trade" as they still have cap space.
In LA Sports Hub, the prospect of trading for Gay was discussed, "Should Gay join the Lakers via trade, it would provide the kind of talent and depth that the team could use to push for the playoffs sooner rather than later," stated Keith Rivas. "Gay's strengths at small forward could be combined with Luol Deng's experience to rub off well on newly acquired Brandon Ingram - and with career averages of 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, he could surely be beneficial."
If the price is right-meaning, none of the young core would be involved, the Lakers could trade for Gay with possibly Nick Young, Lou Williams and future second round picks. The Kings could even throw Ben McLemore, another player they placed on the block. There is no onus for the Lakers to make this trade but it could be beneficial in the long-term.
The Kings have compromised their leverage on Gay when they failed to communicate with him and he went public. LA would be a good destination for him.