NBA Rumors: Should The Sacramento Kings Trade DeMarcus Cousins?
The Sacramento Kings will trade DeMarcus Cousins to the Chicago Bulls!
The Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers have a trade in place sending DeMarcus Cousins to the reigning NBA champions!
Judging from the NBA rumors, DeMarcus Cousins seems to be going to several teams. A recent NBA rumor by the Digital Journal has the Toronto Raptors interested in Cousins now.
There are not many NBA rumors that have the All-Star center remaining with the Sacramento Kings. And for good reason. All of the signs are pointing to Cousins’ desire to leave the only NBA franchise he has ever known. This is the reason why the Sacramento Kings need to sell high and get what they can, while they can.
NBA executives talk. And according to NESN, there are some front office members who do not see Cousins staying with the Sacramento Kings. That would suggest that the Kings should move on.
Just because a player is one of the best in the NBA doesn’t mean it should be a slam dunk that they remain with their teams. Overall fit, personality clashes, and a lackluster roster are all reasons why some of the best players leave. DeMarcus Cousins seems destined to leave the Kings. Each year that Cousins have played for the Kings everything mentioned above was experienced.
There have been some clear dysfunctional times in Sacramento. From the Kings shuffling head coaches in and out, to the last Kings’ coach George Karl and Cousins openly clashing with each other, disharmony reigns supreme. Five NBA head coaches have come and gone since Cousins was taken in the 2010 NBA draft. That is three too many coaches to be fired.
It becomes less about the coaches being brought in and more about the players. In this case, a player, DeMarcus Cousins. Is he worth the trouble that the Kings keep on having?
On talent alone, the answer is yes. As recently as 10 years ago, if a center with his ability were to hit the market, he would be coveted by just about every team in the league. The NBA game is changing. The NBA center is just a dinosaur these days — basically extinct.
For this, the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers come to mind.
Both the Bulls and Cavaliers want to play faster, but they want to do so with an NBA center in the post. The Bulls and Cavaliers still believe in traditional centers. They have to. Both the Bulls and Cavaliers play in the Eastern Conference, where they grind games out more often than not. If the Kings were to determine that keeping DeMarcus Cousins is a pointless proposition, the Bulls and Cavaliers are two of the better fits for him.
Both the Bulls and Cavaliers have assets that would appease the Kings.
The Bulls have young players with the potential to be All-Stars in Bobby Portis, Doug McDermott, and Nikola Mirotic. Two of them could go back in a trade for Cousins. Based on how NBA observers project their ceilings, a deal that includes them could have a long-term payoff for the Kings.
Some may view adding two out of the trio of Bulls’ players a step back for the Kings, as far as playoff contention is concerned. It would do the opposite with Cousins on board; the Kings are no closer to playoff contention than without him.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the player who is the better fit for the Kings if a trade were to happen in Kevin Love. Love is better suited to play in the Western Conference. His shooting and rebounding would return to form on a team where he is the guy. And, getting Love, along with draft picks, for Cousins in a deal helps the Kings become the team they want to be.
Back to reality, the Sacramento Kings are trading DeMarcus Cousins. They would be better off doing so with a chance to have more ping-pong balls in the draft lottery. Where the Kings finish in the standings will determine whether or not they keep their draft pick in 2017. Trading DeMarcus Cousins should be a must. It would be better for the Kings to take a step back in order to jump ahead. Will they move him or stick to their status quo?
[Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
