After the Oklahoma City Thunder lost two of their core players this offseason, they were expected to go through a steep learning curve at the beginning of the year to try and soften the blow of losing one of the league’s best players, as well as one of its best rim protectors. And while they’ve performed relatively well despite the loss of Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka, after 12 games this season, there’s at least one need they’ve already identified—size on the wing. And Zach Lowe of ESPN recently wrote, that the Thunder are eyeing Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay.
“They remain interested in bigger wings, including Rudy Gay, sources say, in part because such a player would slide everyone down to their intended spots: Oladipo to the bench, and Andre Roberson back to defending shooting guards,” Lowe wrote.
As noted by NBC Sports, in the Thunder’s recent win against the Houston Rockets, Roberson limited James Harden, who is averaging 28.7 points and 12.6 assists per game this season, to 13 points on 16 shots, and six turnovers. But as good a defender as Roberson is, on the other side, he cramps Russell Westbrook’s operating space with his inability to shoot (2-11 against the Rockets).
This is where someone with Gay’s talents come in, providing the Thunder with respectable shooting, and another player with the ability to make plays off the bounce. The Kings (4-8) are already facing a swirl of rumors regarding franchise cornerstone DeMarcus Cousins. Trading Gay would mean a total revamp for a team that just moved to a new arena.
Much like Cousins, Gay seems to be involved in trade rumors almost every season, in spite of his consistent productivity. This year, Gay is averaging 21.3 points 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists through 11 games.