With Gay, Toronto had a net efficiency of -0.3, scoring 101.4 points per 100 possessions while giving up 101.7. Gay has played considerably better since being traded to the Kings, and the Raptors have been markedly improved without him. It didn't help matters that Gay was shooting an abysmal 38.8% from the field and attempting 18.6 shots a game. That's the kind of usage expected from a player like LeBron James or Kevin Durant. In his 19 games this season before the trade, he posted a usage rate of 30.6%, meaning nearly a third of the team's possessions ended with a Gay shot or a turnover. Toronto was 7-12 before the trade, but have gone 10-5 since.Īs skilled a player as Gay is, his style of play often worked as a detriment to his team in Toronto. But the trade has had the additional effect of making the Raptors into a legitimate playoff team.
When the Toronto Raptors traded Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings on December 9, the intent was merely to shed long-term salary.
