The Raptor Rebuild: How the Rudy Gay Trade Affects Toronto

The Raptors have parted ways with Rudy Gay, but what lies next at the Air Canada Centre?

By Bennett Corcoran

On Sunday evening, the Toronto Raptors sent swingman Rudy Gay, center Aaron Gray, and forward Quincy Acy to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes, and John Salmons. This represents the second trade that new GM Masai Ujiri has executed after replacing Bryan Colangelo this summer, previously shipping Andrea Bargnani to the New York Knicks for a 2016 first rounder and second round picks in 2014 and 2017.

Acting without hesitation, Ujiri is turning overpriced multi-year deals into expiring contracts. Patterson and Vasquez are both expiring and could be flipped again before the trade deadline, while Salmons' contract is non-guaranteed next season. Assuming Gay opts in, Acy’s option is picked up, and Salmons is released, the Raptors free up a little over $14 million in this swap for next season, and about $8 million from the Bargnani deal.

Who "Won" The Detroit-Milwaukee Trade?

Is Brandon Jennings enough to get Detroit into the Playoffs?

By Jeremy Conlin  @jeremy_conlin

How do you judge a transaction?

When the Pistons and Bucks agreed to their trade on Monday night, this question became a relevant one. Detroit would send Brandon Knight and un-noteworthy salary cap fodder (Khris Middleton and Slava Kravtsov) to Milwaukee in exchange for Brandon Jennings, who, as part of the deal, would be inked to a 3-year, $24 million contract.

But who “won” the trade?