Saw this on bleacher report, hope this trade doesn't happen but don't disagree with the author on most of the story...
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, two second-round picks
Sacramento Kings Receive: Luol Deng
Kings general manager Vlade Divac made it easy on us when he told ESPN's Marc Stein that DeMarcus Cousins wasn't going anywhere. At least for the time being, we can take a hiatus from the annual tradition of speculating on Cousins' future, as said future almost certainly features a contract from the Kings worth more than $200 million.
More broadly, though, Divac and the Kings' history of strange moves makes predictions difficult. A braintrust willing to surrender useful vets and draft assets in order to clear cash for Rajon Rondo (yes, this really happened) puts everything on the table. Remember, Divac is the guy who a league source described in Kevin Arnovitz's deep dive on the Kings for ESPN.com thusly: "Nobody in that position has ever been less qualified, less capable or a nicer person."
Perhaps Divac's amicable nature will lead to a swap for Lakers forward Luol Deng.
The Kings could certainly use a steadying, professional veteran presence on the roster, and Deng is most useful these days as an undersized power forward—an area of need Matt Barnes and Anthony Tolliver haven't consistently met.
So, the bold prediction: Sacramento sends Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore and two second-round picks to the Lakers for Deng, which allows L.A. to get out from under Deng's onerous four-year deal and clear nearly $18 million from next year's books...assuming Gay recovers well enough from his torn Achilles to opt out of the final season of his contract. McLemore is a pure flier. Maybe he shows the Lakers something, but more likely, he walks away and L.A. isn't upset about it.
Deng is already overpaid for his production, and the aging curve will only exacerbate that issue in the final three years of his current deal. But he's a name, and the Kings are devoted to winning in the short term. This is the kind of head-scratching move that fits their brand.
Stranger things have happened. Actually, with the Kings, stranger things always happen.
—Grant Hughes
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, two second-round picks
Sacramento Kings Receive: Luol Deng
Kings general manager Vlade Divac made it easy on us when he told ESPN's Marc Stein that DeMarcus Cousins wasn't going anywhere. At least for the time being, we can take a hiatus from the annual tradition of speculating on Cousins' future, as said future almost certainly features a contract from the Kings worth more than $200 million.
More broadly, though, Divac and the Kings' history of strange moves makes predictions difficult. A braintrust willing to surrender useful vets and draft assets in order to clear cash for Rajon Rondo (yes, this really happened) puts everything on the table. Remember, Divac is the guy who a league source described in Kevin Arnovitz's deep dive on the Kings for ESPN.com thusly: "Nobody in that position has ever been less qualified, less capable or a nicer person."
Perhaps Divac's amicable nature will lead to a swap for Lakers forward Luol Deng.
The Kings could certainly use a steadying, professional veteran presence on the roster, and Deng is most useful these days as an undersized power forward—an area of need Matt Barnes and Anthony Tolliver haven't consistently met.
So, the bold prediction: Sacramento sends Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore and two second-round picks to the Lakers for Deng, which allows L.A. to get out from under Deng's onerous four-year deal and clear nearly $18 million from next year's books...assuming Gay recovers well enough from his torn Achilles to opt out of the final season of his contract. McLemore is a pure flier. Maybe he shows the Lakers something, but more likely, he walks away and L.A. isn't upset about it.
Deng is already overpaid for his production, and the aging curve will only exacerbate that issue in the final three years of his current deal. But he's a name, and the Kings are devoted to winning in the short term. This is the kind of head-scratching move that fits their brand.
Stranger things have happened. Actually, with the Kings, stranger things always happen.
—Grant Hughes