Oklahoma City Thunder trade rumors: Thunder looking at Gay as option

Looking to still improve their team, the Oklahoma City Thunder are rumored to acquire some big names this season, but it appears they are leaning on someone who offers something familiar.

Based on the rumors, the Thunder are trying to get Rudy Gay from the Sacramento Kings as they want to have a big small forward who can do various things on the court.

The Thunder have been spoiled in the previous seasons with Kevin Durant as they had one of the best scorers in the game. Unfortunately, Durant moved to the Golden State Warriors. Still, the Thunder have been staying relatively afloat despite his absence.

Under the leadership of Russell Westbrook, the Thunder still lead the Northwest with an 8-5 record.

However, the team wants another star to help them maintain the elite level they are used to and Gay seems like the apparent replacement.

Gay may not be the scorer that Durant is, but he can bring a lot of things to the table. He is currently 30 years old and at the peak of his career, so today is the best time to have Gay in the club.

At the moment, he is averaging 20.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in the campaign. This is a little better than his career averages and the Thunder should try and make a deal if Gay can offer the same with Oklahoma City.

Furthermore, Gay should not have a problem with having a short-term deal with the Thunder which gives the team flexibility in the future.

At the moment, Gay has one year left in his contract after this season, and has the chance to exercise his player option.

For Sacramento, that means they are likely to deal him now rather than wait for Gay to opt out and walk away from the Kings without anyone in return.