Sacramento Kings rumors: Rudy Gay likely to re-sign

The Sacramento Kings’ desire to keep forward Rudy Gay was no secret. Fans joined the Kings in trying to convince Gay to stay and he decided to opt in to the final year of his contract. Now, the Kings will focus on keeping Gay long-term.

More from NBA

According to Michael Lee of The Washington Post, Gay feels wanted by the Kings long-term.

"Gay was unlikely to opt out of a contract that will pay him $19.3 million next season but the Kings still made an impassioned plea in June to convince him to stay rather than become an unrestricted free agent. Fans greeted him at Sacramento International Airport with signs and chants of “Rudy! Rudy!” while Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro and Coach Michael Malone presented a plan for the direction of the franchise.“It was good,” Gay said of the Kings’ successful pitch to stick around. “After two tough seasons, it was good to know that they wanted me there, not just for now, but for long [term].”"

This isn’t the first time Gay has talked about his long-term future and the prospect of signing an extension in Sacramento and most expect him to remain out west long term.

Gay averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the field, 33.0% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the free throw line. In his eight-year career, the eighth-overall pick of the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft has played for the Kings, Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies and has put up 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 45.1% from the field, 34.2% from three and 78.4% from the charity stripe.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.

Home/NBA