The Sacramento Kings may be looking to move center Boogie Cousins. Stop me if you’ve heard this rumor before.
According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Kings management has reportedly engaged in talks during All-Star Weekend to move the talented, fiery center.
If moved, Boogie would be the biggest player dealt thus far this season.
Via Twitter:
Sacramento has been engaging in trade talks on All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in recent days, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2017
Kings have had recent discussions with New Orleans on Cousins, sources tell @TheVertical. Sac still debating Cousins' future internally.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2017
Sources: Kings owner Vivek Ranadive's waffling on long-term commitment to Cousins has opened door to trade talks. He's gone back and forth.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2017
It didn’t take long for Cousin’s agent to try and kill those rumors.
(1 of 2) Agent Jarinn Akana tells @TheVertical: "We met w/ Vlade and ownership and they assured us and DeMarcus that he's not being traded."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2017
(2 of 2): Akana: "As far as we're concerned, nothing has changed."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2017
That Cousin’s agent denies it doesn’t make it false, however, this move would be a huge change of directions for the Kings organization.
It may also be one they may need to consider. The Kings have said they would offer Cousins the “designated player” max extension (likely around at $213 million over five seasons), and Cousins has said he would sign it. If the Kings really wanted to make him happy, they could do a Russell Westbrook style renegotiation of his contract for the coming season, then have the extension kick in after that (Boogie would sign that, too). However, do that and they have no cap space to bring in players around Cousins, they stay the same team they are right now for years.
The Kings have been reluctant at times to even engage in discussions with teams, in part because owner Vivek Ranadive doesn’t want to move the big man knowing they will go a decade before getting a player that talented on the roster again. The Kings were frustrated when former coach George Karl was insistent on moving him, and they dismissed interest from both the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
But there’s also been recent talks around Boogie and the Phoenix Suns, and the situation from an outside-of-California view seems to be ripe for a split.
Cousins, for as good as he’s been, has not shown he’s enough to take the team into the playoffs. Kings management, meanwhile, has been an absolute disaster during his time there and has not done much to compliment him. The relationship seems to have soured, even as owner Ranadive has backed Cousins.
Whatever the outcome, if Cousins gets traded by the Feb. 23 deadline it will go down as one of the biggest mid-season moves this season. It’s going to be hard for Sacramento to move on from a franchise player like Boogie, but perhaps it’s time to look for a different path. For Cousins, a breath of fresh air and a little help might put his career in a new perspective as well.