NBA Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins won’t stay with Sacramento Kings
By John Buhler
DeMarcus Cousins has two years left on his deal with the Sacramento Kings, but one league executive thinks the Kings would be crazy to think he’ll re-sign.
Sacramento Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins had great success as a part of the United States’ Men’s National Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He’s returned to America as an Olympic champion, but is only weeks away from possibly another dysfunctional season in Sacramento.
Yes, the Kings have made a terrific hire in getting former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger to lead their ball club, but Sacramento is still far from being a Western Conference Playoff team. Cousins is easily the Kings’ best player and has two year remaining on his deal with Sacramento.
Though he has enjoyed great personal success as the franchise’s cornerstone player the last six years, one anonymous NBA executive thinks that there is no chance Cousins will re-up with the Kings when he is a free agent.
On the condition of anonymity, the executive said to CBSSports.com’s Zach Harper, “They’re fooling themselves if they think he’s sticking around. The good news for him is that his value will always be high. There isn’t a point of return in which you’re not getting high value for him. Teams will bid against each other in the trade market. Maybe [Cousins] doesn’t go for the biggest money in free agency but you’d love to have that card to play.”
Cousins hits unrestricted free agency in summer 2018. In the meantime, he may develop a good working relationship with Joerger. Joerger will play with slower pace, much to Cousins’ liking. However, Cousins has never been an elite defensive player. Joerger’s Grizzlies teams were always strong on that end of the floor.
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Expect the Kings organization to at least entertain trade offers for Cousins the next two seasons. The moment Sacramento is informed by someone from Cousins’ camp that he will not re-sign, the Kings have to trade him. Cousins will garner a huge return for the Kings via trade. How his relationship with Joerger manifests will dictate Cousins’ NBA future in Sacramento.