NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings Sending Message To DeMarcus Cousins


NBA rumors are swirling around DeMarcus Cousins. The talented but troubled center has a new head coach after failing to get along with George Karl all last season. The Sacramento Kings are losing patience, and the team has actually explored the possibility of trading him to another franchise in the National Basketball Association. According to CBS Sports, Vlade Divac stated that Cousins was not going anywhere. However, he also made sure to note that DeMarcus could be traded the following year.

When George Karl was the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, he was hoping that management would send DeMarcus Cousins away. Aside from getting rid of a player that simply was tuning him out, Karl felt that the Kings could speed up their rebuilding process a bit because Cousins would have been able to fetch quite a bit of assets in return. Sacramento opted instead to get rid of Karl after the season.

NBA coach George Karl
George Karl [Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
After an extensive head coaching search, Vlade Divac has replaced George Karl with Dave Joerger, who was unexpectedly terminated by the Memphis Grizzlies. The Sacramento Kings were quick to jump on the hiring of Joerger because he has been someone that they have been keeping an eye on for years. Divac wasn’t willing to choose Karl over DeMarcus Cousins, but he might be inclined to fully commit to Joerger if things go bad with Cousins.

There’s a ton of talent within the body of DeMarcus Cousins. He’s a tremendous player on offense regardless because of those talents. It sometimes looks too easy for Cousins on that end of the floor. When paired with a coach that he likes and respects, DeMarcus becomes a complete player. When Mike Malone was the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, Cousins had his best year as a defender, which made the Kings that much better of a team.

Sacramento Kings coach Dave Joerger
Dave Joerger [Photo by Sean M Haffey/Getty Images]
The biggest goal for the Sacramento Kings is to build a good relationship between Dave Joerger and DeMarcus Cousins. In order to do that, Vlade Divac knew that he needed to reduce some of the distraction that surrounds the team. He managed to do that by telling the media that the Kings will not be trading Cousins. However, Divac wisely made sure to leave open the possibility for the following season, which should help Joerger keep Cousins in line.

Trading DeMarcus Cousins has to be something considered if he cannot get along with Dave Joerger. By fighting with another head coach, teams in the NBA will be reluctant to trade for Cousins. That lowers his trade value and puts the Sacramento Kings in a very tough position. The sooner that Vlade Divac gets rid of him, the better it will be for Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac [Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images]
If Vlade Divac is forced to trade DeMarcus Cousins, the Sacramento Kings should still be able to find someone in the NBA that is willing to take a chance on Cousins. A team like the Los Angeles Lakers need someone with star power. They also need someone that can play center. Cousins fits the bill on both ends. The Lakers also have a lot of young assets that they can send to the Kings in return.

DeMarcus Cousins is going to be in the spotlight when next season starts. He’s one of the more fascinating stories in the NBA. Every little thing that he does with Dave Joerger will cause the media and fans to speculate. The Sacramento Kings are really hoping that this arrangement works out because they’ll have to make a really huge decision on the future of their franchise. It’s never easy trading away a superstar player.

[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]

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