NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings Rudy Gay Trade Final; DeMarcus Cousins Next In Line

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz
Jan 14, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) drives to the hoop against Utah Jazz forward Trey Lyles (41) and forward Joe Ingles (2) in the second quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena.  Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings got wrapped up in locker room drama in the past NBA season. Despite the powerful players in the roster, the DeMarcus Cousins squad failed to make an impact in the league. Moreover, free agents are reportedly staying away from the Sacramento Kings due to the group's lack of chemistry and abundance of issues on and off the court. To resolve the situation, the front office reportedly wants to revamp the roster. That is, a Rudy Gay trade and a DeMarcus Cousins exit are said to be expected soon.

Rudy Gay has always been the focal point of the recruitment process of the Sacramento Kings. However, his value in the roster appears to be diminishing by the day. Rumors are rife that the Sacramento Kings are looking into potential blockbuster deals that will send Rudy Gay to a different basketball team and give them a new player to hail as the franchise face. Apart from Gay, reports are circulating that the days of DeMarcus Cousins in the roster are numbered as well.

"If Gay were to be put on the trading block this summer he should bring good value back to the Kings (possibly young players or draft picks) if a deal is made, which could potentially help the Kings going forth," explained Rafe Wong of Fan Sided. He added, "Worst case, it clears cap space for the Kings to use when free agency comes along."

This appears to be the plan of the Sacramento Kings front office. In the 2016 NBA draft, basketball fans and experts expected Vlade Divac to trade his draft picks with potential veteran stars who can lift the team from its current state next season. Instead, the Sacramento Kings actually used up all their draft picks and opted to invest on young stars.

Does this mean that the Sacramento Kings are eyeing a rebuilding phase in the next years? Does this signify their surrender in making the Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins work? Where will this lead Boogie and Gay?

"Vlade Divac tried something new. It was unorthodox, and maybe that's why many Kings fans were upset with the selections that Vlade and his staff made," noted Jake Fitzgibbon of Fan Sided, referring to the move of the Sacramento Kings to not get a star who can contribute right away. He added, "However, the assets and talent that Divac was able to acquire on Thursday night will be hugely beneficial to a Kings team in desperate need of assets. On the surface, it doesn't look too pretty; but once you dive deep and look into how much profit the Kings were able to make on draft night, it won't seem so dire."

With a rebuild that appears to be in the works, the Sacramento Kings might just be subtly telling Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins that the fight is over. They could no longer wait for the two stars to prove their mettle in the hardwood court. The Sacramento Kings appear to be moving on from the drama and looking forward to start anew with their new batch of rookies.

What do you think? Should the Sacramento Kings drop both Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins? Is this really the right direction for the NBA team? Or will this be yet another failed experiment for the Sacramento Kings?

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