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NBA Trade Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins To Warriors, Klay Thompson To Kings

Published on: November 15, 2016 at 6:14 PM
By Adrian Lawhorn

It almost seemed destined that NBA trade rumors would bring Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson together at some point. Real Sport 101 recently opined that the Kings need to trade Cousins , and cited the Warriors as a prime destination for the two-time NBA All-Star.

Morning News USA has discussed Klay Thompson’s situation in Golden State, detailing how his slow adjustment to the addition of Kevin Durant may be causing the team to consider dealing Thompson if the right offer comes along — and according to this report, that offer may come in the form of DeMarcus Cousins.

Headlines & Global News reports that there is talk of mutual interest between the Warriors and Kings with regard to a potential swap of Cousins and Klay Thompson. DeMarcus Cousins has reportedly become very frustrated with Sacramento’s lack of team success during his tenure there, and in turn, the Kings have allegedly grown tired of Cousins’ attitude and antics.

Sometimes a change of scenery is all a quality player needs to recapture their top form. Klay Thompson is struggling early in the 2016-17 season, and multiple sources are indicating that he may be unhappy with his new role in Golden State. DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings appear to be headed for a divorce that both parties want. From this standpoint, it seems reasonable that the Warriors and Sacramento could look to each other to solve these issues.

The ESPN NBA Trade Machine verifies that a one-for-one swap of DeMarcus Cousins and Klay Thompson would be a legal deal under NBA trade and salary cap constraints. The question now becomes: would these two prominent players be a good fit for their new teams if they were traded for each other?

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DeMarcus Cousins would certainly give the Golden State Warriors a talent upgrade at center, but the team already has veterans Zaza Pachulia and Anderson Varejao at that position. Adding a dominant center like Cousins would change the team dynamic, and it may not ultimately be in the team’s best interest to bring in another player who needs a lot of touches and doesn’t provide the kind of rim protection that the Warriors currently lack.

Golden State’s shooting guard position would be left to rookie Patrick McCaw if Klay Thompson is dealt, and that is another problem for a team that is a prime championship contender. The team is high on McCaw, but he is not ready to take on a starting role for a team that is expected to be in the 2017 NBA Finals. As tempting as it might be to acquire a supreme talent like DeMarcus Cousins, this rumored trade proposal would leave the Warriors with a somewhat weaker, less-experienced lineup.

The Sacramento Kings are coming off a disastrous 2015-16 season, and they appear to be in need of a fresh start. If these NBA trade rumors are indeed correct and this deal is consummated, Klay Thompson would become the top scoring option in Sacramento. No team could truly replace what DeMarcus Cousins does on the basketball floor, but the Kings do have Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos to help fill the void if Cousins is sent packing.

Sacramento also has a stable of shooting guards that include a respected veteran (Arron Afflalo) as well as some young talent that may yet blossom (Ben McLemore and rookie Malachi Richardson). The Kings would have to decide if the boost that Klay Thompson would give the team would be more valuable than DeMarcus Cousins’ contributions, and that’s a close call. If the team is truly ready to part ways with Cousins, this may be as good a deal as they are likely to get. But in the final analysis, this NBA trade rumor looks like a wash for the Sacramento Kings and probably wouldn’t make them any better.

The latest NBA trade rumors are buzzing about a possible deal between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings that would involve the exchange of NBA All-Stars DeMarcus Cousins and Klay Thompson. Cousins is an amazing talent, but the Warriors would seem to be better off keeping Thompson and leaving the center position to the solid veterans they already have on the roster. This theoretical transaction looks a little better from the Kings’ viewpoint, but not by much, as this would likely be no better than an even swap for Sacramento. Everything considered, this hot rumor doesn’t seem likely to result in an actual deal, despite the bustle it is causing online.

[Featured Image by Ben Margot/AP Images]

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