Folks in Toronto are ecstatic that the Raptors have ridded themselves of Rudy Gay, who has gone from a cherished franchise cornerstone in Memphis (way back in January) to a — how shall we say? — ball-stopping bum who couldn’t shoot 40 percent in Toronto. But he will be joining a Sacramento Kings team that needs a go-to perimeter scorer to alleviate some of the defensive pressure on DeMarcus Cousins, and a Kings team that now gets to elevate Isaiah Thomas, who
The NBA holiday shopping season is upon us a little early this year. It usually starts December 15, the first day players who were signed in the offseason become eligible to be traded. But after seeing Rudy Gay’s immovable contract somehow sent from Toronto to Sacramento, it is clear that shopping season is under way. Come next Sunday, NBA general managers will have increased flexibility when looking to improve their rosters, which was Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro’s approach in acquiring Gay, or their payroll,
Leave it to the NBA’s reigning Executive of the Year to upstage Kobe Bryant’s return. Going into the Raptors’ game with the Lakers in the Staples Center, all the buzz was (rightfully) on Black Mamba’s return from a torn Achilles, but with the Raps shedding Rudy Gay’s contract, it seems like Kobe’s return has been kind of pushed to a side burner for now. Not the back burner, but it’s not all that’s getting talked about. [Read more…]
Short, but not that sweet is the best way to describe Rudy Gay’s stint in Toronto. On Sunday evening his time as a Raptor officially came to an end. Rudy Gay has been traded to the Sacramento Kings along with Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray. The Toronto Raptors will receive Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes, reports Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears of Yahoo. The past month has been rough on both Gay and the Raptors, as tension began
Rudy Gay, who has one of the most overbearing contracts in the NBA, reportedly has been traded for the second time in less than a year. Yahoo! Sports reported Sunday night that a seven-player deal is being finalized that would have the Toronto Raptors send Gay and the $37 million remaining on his contract to the Sacramento Kings. The report said the Kings would also get deep reserves Aaron Gray ($2.69 million) and Quincy Acy ($790,000), both of whom have deals that
The gambling life ain’t easy, folks — which is where today’s tale begins. But by the time you get to the end of today’s column, hopefully you’ll be amused by my personal adventures and enlightened by my leaguewide analysis. We are at the quarter-pole of the NBA season, and trends have emerged. First, to truly appreciate what it means to gamble on the NBA on a daily basis, you had to experience what it was like to bet on the Philadelphia 76ers
LOS ANGELES – Arriving in at LAX for Thanksgiving proved to be entertaining as usual. Kobe Bryant signed his two-year, $48.5 million extension Monday morning, so by the time my plane touched down late Tuesday, the irrational debate and cheap analysis was kicking into a higher gear among Lakers Nation. This group is one of my favorites because its members live in a self-contained universe where there are only two types of humans – those who are Lakers and those who
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the great landmarks of our country. And right now, it connects the home boroughs of perhaps the NBA’s two most disappointing teams this season. Remember all the back-and-forth this summer between members of the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets? Jason Kidd retired from the Knicks to coach the Nets. Raymond Felton questioned his Knicks being ranked below the Nets. Paul Pierce said it was time for the Nets to start running the city. J.R. Smith