5 NBA players in need of a change of scenery

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings

At this point, it feels inevitable for DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings to head for a split. He is the next star teams are circling around and trying to figure out how to pry away from his original team.

The Kings do not seem ready to deal but It just feels inevitable at this point that it will occur.

Cousins has only further soured the relationship and deepened the rot with his outburst at a reporter last week, his apology to the fans (but not to the reporter) and his moodiness with the local media.

It is not a good look for Cousins, who has to fight those perceptions on the court with his constant technical foul problems.

Cousins is undoubtedly an extremely gifted player. He scored 55 points in Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers — famously getting ejected and then un-ejected late in the game. He is a surefire all star and probably the best center in the league.

Cousins has never been in an environment that is conducive to winning. Sacramento just has not been the place for a young player like him to mature and succeed. They have let him run the place, essentially, and never given him the structure.

More than anything, NBA fans want to see Cousins out of Sacramento so he can escape the chaos that is that organization.

Sacramento has shuffled through coaches — six coaches since 2011 when Cousins was drafted. The Kings have failed to draft players to surround Cousins with the lotteries they have been through. There is a reason Sacramento has missed the playoffs every year since 2006.

Even with a star player in Cousins, the Kings cannot get out of their own way. For him to succeed and reach his potential, Cousins desperately needs to go to a locker room with strong veteran leadership and an organization that is much more stable.