NBA Rumors: Five trade destinations for DeMarcus Cousins

By John Buhler | Jan 26, 2016

Jan 25, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during overtime in the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Sleep Train Arena. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Sacramento Kings 129-128 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 20, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) grabs a rebound against Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Boston Celtics 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

18. . Atlantic Division. Eastern Conference. Boston Celtics. 1. player

If there is any team in the NBA that could conceivably and realistically be able to convince the Sacramento Kings to part ways with its best player in center DeMarcus Cousins, it is the Boston Celtics, without question.

Boston entered play Tuesday night in fifth-place in the East with a 25-21 record. The Celtics already have the next superstar head coach in the league in former Butler Bulldogs head coach Brad Stevens. They have one of the smartest general managers in the game in Danny Ainge, who has carefully stockpiled assets since blowing up the team from the Big Three/Four era (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo).

Not only do the Celtics have a roster full of high IQ role players that any team can extract value from, they also own the greatest pick swap in NBA history: the right to swap first round picks with the awful Brooklyn Nets in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Brooklyn (rather Boston) is one of four teams that can realistically win the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery and end up with the ability to select the best one-and-done player collegiately since Kevin Durant in LSU Tigers’ big man Ben Simmons.

Boston could dangle that unprotected lottery bound pick as well as any player currently on their 15-man roster to try to get Kings general manager Vlade Divac to bite on a trade involving Cousins. The Celtics can and will offer more to the Kings for Cousins that any other team in the NBA.

The Kings trading Cousins is highly unlikely since Sacramento is playing its best basketball in a decade, but if any team could pull off this gigantic blockbuster trade, it would have to be the Celtics.

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