Following a two-game winning streak, the New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly been busy trying to orchestrate a trade for Rudy Gay. Multiple reports indicate that the Pelicans are continuing trade talks with the Sacramento Kings to acquire the latter's small forward.
Pelicans general manager Dell Demps previously admitted to looking into trade possibilities before the NBA trade deadline on February. However, he declined to name which players the club may have been targeting. John Reid of NOLA.com is among the first to report about a potential deal involving Gay.
"The Pelicans have already had trade conversations with the Sacramento Kings, sources say. Last month, the Pelicans had discussions with the Phoenix Suns in a potential trade deal involving Markieff Morris in exchange for Ryan Anderson, but nothing materialized," Reid wrote. "Sources say the Pelicans have interest in trying to acquire Kings forward Rudy Gay."
Last year, the 29-year-old forward signed a three-year $40 million contract extension with the Kings. Although he is still an important contributor, he has struggled to adjust to the system that head coach George Karl has been implementing. Gay is averaging 18 points-per-game and 6.9 rebounds. That scoring average is his lowest since 2013. Nevertheless, it may be his leadership and skills that appeal most to the Pelicans.
Meanwhile, forward-center Ryan Anderson is the biggest asset New Orleans have that they would be willing to trade, Fox Sports observes. Anderson is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will supposedly command starter's money on a long-term deal. He is also a lights-out shooter who averages 17.1 points-per-game and 6.2 rebounds while racking up 31.5 minutes per game off the bench.
The other part of the potential Pelicans-Kings trade involves shooting guard Eric Gordon and small forward Alonzo Gee. The Pelicans reportedly offered both players to Sacramento in exchange for Gay, but the latter apparently turned them down.
"Around the West, there hasn't been so much instability in years. Sacramento and New Orleans have discussed a Rudy Gay trade, but the Kings are unwilling on a deal that would center on Eric Gordon and Alonzo Gee, league sources said," Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
One of the biggest reasons why the Sacramento Kings are not ready to trade players yet is because the team actually still has a shot to be in the playoffs. The Kings currently have a 16-23 record, it means that they are very much in the running for the 8th seed in the NBA's Western Conference.
