The Massiah has answered our prayers.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings have agreed on a trade involving Rudy Gay. The deal breaks down as follows:
To the Raptors:
To the Kings:
Salmons will earn 7.6 million this season and is on the books for 7.0 million next season, but the second year is only partially guaranteed and can be waived for 1 million dollars (Ujiri will definitely waive him).
Chuck Hayes is slated to earn 5.7 million dollars this season and 6.0 million dollar next season.
Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson’s contracts both expire at the end of this season.
Here are the per-game numbers of the incoming players:
And the advanced statistics:
Somehow, some way, Masai Ujiri found his dance partner in this year’s equivalent of Bryan Colangelo (GM Pete D’Alessandro, formerly of the Denver Nuggets). In getting rid of Catch-22, we Yossarians are finally able to escape the endless “long-two and iso-ball” horror show.
Don’t get it twisted – this is little more than a salary dump for Masai Ujiri. Rudy Gay has a player option for 19 million next season and if Ujiri waives Salmons and renounces Vasquez and Patterson next off-season, the Raptors will save nearly 13 million dollars next season.
However the Raptors did acquire some interesting pieces. Vasquez (or Dad’s Grey Biscuits, as Tas Melas likes to call him) is a young pick-and-roll point guard who had a semi-breakout year with the Pelicans last season (14 ppg, 9 apg). He will likely slot in at back-up point guard (or starting point guard should Lowry be dealt) and help stabilize the rudderless bench unit.
Patterson is a pick-and-pop big who can stretch the floor. He will likely contend for minutes at power-forward (he’s too small to play center). Chucky Hayes (also undersized) is a solid post-defender and and excellent locker-room presence. Salmons is washed up and will probably be glued to the bench (remember how hard Colangelo tried to sign this guy? Irony).
A full breakdown and analysis of this trade will be posted tomorrow morning at 9 AM. I’ll leave you with my two cents on the deal:
