This will also put the Kings in a bind in terms of what they will be able to do in free agency. Even when back, it still takes players time to build their strength back, especially for a player on the wrong side of age 30. This would be a dramatic shift based upon expectations prior to Wednesday night.Īn Achilles injury typically takes around a year to rehab. The team may be more inclined to move some of their expiring contracts including Casspi, Darren Collison, Ben McLemore, and Lawson.Īs we start to think about what the roster could look like next season, it’s reasonable to assume that Gay will pick up his $14.2 million player option for the 2017-2018 season. This injury also puts to bed any trade talks involving Gay, who has been rumored in to be moved in multiple deals since the summer. This may finally lead to the unleashing of Malachi Richardson who has been rumored to get minutes since being called up from Reno. It also means we will see more minutes at small forward for both Anthony Tolliver and Matt Barnes. This will likely mean a minutes upgrade for Garrett Temple who likely takes Gay’s spot in the starting rotation. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports Sacramento, CA, USA Sacramento Kings guard Garrett Temple (17) goes up for a shot during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center.
