DeMarcus Cousins wants to sign a contract extension with the Kings
Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has been the center of trade talks for the last few seasons.
Many teams could use a dominant center of DeMarcus Cousins’ stature, but he insists on staying with the organization that drafted him back in 2010.
In an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Cousins said after seven years in Sacramento, he considers that his home and wants his “legacy to end” and “jersey to be in the rafters in Sacramento.”
“I’m very happy,” Cousins told Shelburne. “It’s where I want to be.”
The last seven years haven’t been easy for the All-Star center. He has played with six different coaches in the last seven seasons. His fourth coach, current Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, was the only coach that Cousins’ trusted. Malone’s firing back in 2014 brought more issues between Cousins and management.
After a rocky relationship with George Karl the following season, the Kings brought in former Memphis Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger. Despite being on the outside of the Western Conference playoff hunt, Cousins likes the direction of the franchise with Joerger coaching.
“I think we’re on the right path this season,” Cousins said. “We’re playing the best basketball of the season so far. Our team is extremely confident. We believe we can make this push and make it happen. We’ve been preaching it all year. It’s on us to make it happen.”
During the interview, Cousins also acknowledged that he has hurt his relationship with the Kings management, but with Vlade Divac’s continuous effort on making Cousins happy, he is learning how to deal with his trust issues towards the organizarion.
Cousins is averaging 27.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.8 assist per game this season. This Sunday he will play in his third All-Star game, as well as the Skills Challenge on Saturday.
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According to ESPN, this summer he can sign a five-year contract extension worth up to $219 million. Heading to the All-Star break, the Kings are currently ninth in the West at 24-33.