Rudy Gay and the Kings have been at odds all summer, and it appears that he will be leaving Sacramento at the end of the upcoming season.
Gay has reportedly told the Kings front office that he plans to opt-out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2017. The move could mean that Gay will be traded before the season is over.
More from Woj and The Vertical:
Forward Rudy Gay has informed Sacramento Kings management that he plans to use his 2017 player option to become an unrestricted free agent and considers himself unlikely to negotiate a new deal to return to the franchise, league sources told The Vertical.
Gay’s pledge to the Kings’ ownership and front office that he’s strongly leaning against re-signing with Sacramento is a declaration that could increase pressure on the organization to trade Gay sooner rather than later.
So far, Sacramento has shown no inclination to move Gay without a substantial package in return, league sources told The Vertical. Several teams have engaged the Kings in trade talks, but teams say those conversations have yet to find traction. Some teams have been unclear with what exactly Sacramento wants in return, and others say the asking price is too unreasonable.
Gay is set to earn $13.3 million this season and will leave $14.3 million on the table if he does in fact opt-out of his deal. The 30-year-old averaged 17.2 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.
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