Rudy Gay's Extension and the Next Step for Surprising Sacramento

Can the Kings build a contender around Rudy Gay?

By Bennett Corcoran (@SportsBennett)

It’s unclear exactly how much we are learning through the first few weeks of the NBA season, but the frontrunner for surprise team that exceeds expectations looks to be the Sacramento Kings. Sac-town stands at 6-4 in a brutal Western Conference, with impressive wins against the Clippers, Blazers, Suns, and Spurs.

The Grizzlies loss occurred on a buzzer-beating layup by Courtney Lee, but by looking at the trajectory of the ball it appears Ryan Hollins tipped Vince Carter’s inbound pass, meaning the clock should have started earlier and, therefore, the layup wouldn’t count. The league is currently reviewing the play, although I would be surprised if the call was reversed.

Still, they’re basically 7-3 and have beaten some really good basketball teams.

Rudy Gay deserves a fair share of the credit for this productive stretch, and Sacramento rewarded him accordingly with a three year, $40 million extension this weekend. In ten games this season, Rudy is posting career-high numbers in points (22.5 PPG), rebounds (5.4), and assists (3.5). His turnover rate is down to 12%, the lowest it’s been since Gay played in a conservative Memphis offense where he wasn’t really the feature guy. His splits of .448/.344/.880 are encouraging as he has evolved into both an efficient scorer and a playmaker.

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.