NBA Rookie Rankings 12/15/13: Trades Affecting Rookie of the Year Race

4. Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings

Dec 7, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Sacramento Kings shooting guard Ben McLemore (16) is defended by Utah Jazz point guard Trey Burke (3) during the second half at EnergySolutions Arena. Sacramento won 112-102 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Tim Hardaway Jr. isn’t the only rookie having to deal with trade rumors but for Ben McLemore, his situation with the Sacramento Kings is a little bit different.

The Kings have already made their move, trading with the Toronto Raptors for elite shot taker Rudy Gay in a package deal. The move itself opens the door for the Kings to begin having Isaiah Thomas, the spark plug off the bench, be the starting point guard. With Gay and Thomas joining DeMarcus Cousins in the starting lineup, plus the renewed confidence of Derrick Williams, it’s hard to figure just what kind of scoring role McLemore will have with the Kings this season.

Combining the shot attempts for Gay, Cousins, Thomas and Williams can easily add up to about 60 to 70 shot attempts per game, leaving McLemore as the odd man out. This may be a bit of a stretch, but the shooting tendencies of Thomas and Gay alone make for a troublesome time for the rookie.

It’s early and Gay has only been with Sacramento for one game, but unless McLemore becomes more assertive, something he has needed to improve upon before the trade occurred, it’s possible to see McLemore either moved before the trading deadline or face a fate worse than death itself: missing the cut for the Rookie Rankings on a weekly basis.