NBA Trade Rumors: Rival NBA Executives Believe Sacramento Kings Will Trade DeMarcus Cousins

The Sacramento Kings are going to trade DeMarcus Cousins before the NBA trade deadline, at least some rival NBA executives believe so. The Kings and Cousins just simply do not appear to be a perfect match. That would mean that a trade is perhaps the only solution for both parties involved, although nothing has been confirmed or set in stone.

The Kings moving Cousins have been one of the most prominent of NBA trade rumors to hit sports blotters in the past year. Something could eventually happen. There will be several NBA teams involved if DeMarcus Cousins officially lands on the NBA trading block.

The Kings have a quandary on their hands. What is staring the Kings in the face is a huge decision. They must make a determination about DeMarcus Cousins.

Would trading him be the best decision the Kings can make for their franchise? The answer is a soft, maybe. DeMarcus Cousins remaining with the Kings would be good for continuity purposes, but it can backfire if he begins to show unhappiness.

In the past, too many signs have pointed to the Sacramento Kings and DeMarcus Cousins parting company. Things have not dramatically improved with the Kings, who have started the early part of the NBA season struggling with a 4-9 record. It is clearly broken in Sacramento. The Kings’ front office must work on fixing it. Fixing it would be either adding some more talent around Cousins or dealing him.

Shaq Says He's Hearing the Kings May Trade DeMarcus Cousins https://t.co/dhaYcniPbS pic.twitter.com/GHHbFeQp95

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 13, 2016

The Sporting News‘ Sean Deveney is reporting that several rival NBA executives have a belief that the Kings will move DeMarcus Cousins. It is the thought that the Sacramento Kings could do something sooner rather than later. One Western Conference executive thinks that the longer the Kings hold out on a Cousins trade, the less they will get back in return.

“I’d say they have three months, tops. Probably more like a month, or month-and-a-half, because the closer they get to the (February trade) deadline, the less they’re going to get back. If you’re trying to trade him the week of the deadline, it’s going to be tougher.”

Even Sacramento Kings’ minority owner, Shaquille O’Neal, believes the team is going to trade DeMarcus Cousins. The hall of fame center cites Cousins’ lack of leadership skills should suggest that it is time.

“He hasn’t shown me hose leadership qualities yet. That’s why I’m hearing talk of, if things don’t start to become correct then they may be looking to go in a different direction.”

There is some truth to the idea that the Kings will get less coming back in a trade the longer they hold out. Another factor to consider is that other players will become available as the NBA trade deadline draws closer.

Cutting into the Kings’ possible asking price is what other teams will do while testing the trade market for their own players. As teams fall helplessly out of the playoff race, their players could wind up being available to teams. If more teams begin to look at trading away talent, it will diminish what the Kings may decide to do with DeMarcus Cousins.

Just as some rival executives believe that the Kings are going deal Cousins, there is certainly a contingent who think the opposite. They will not hold on to their assets with a falsehood that the Kings are going to make a trade.

Another thing to consider is Cousins’ contract. He only has one more year remaining at $18 million after this season. There has been plenty of speculation that Cousins will leave the Sacramento Kings as a free agent and play elsewhere. One of those possible destinations for Cousins are the Chicago Bulls, whom he has been linked to since CSN Chicago put out a report in 2015.

Where would you want to see DeMarcus Cousins end up? pic.twitter.com/p7iheujZ1i

— theScore (@theScore) November 14, 2016

The Bulls have quietly patterned some of their free agency acquisitions around the 2017 and 2018 free agency classes. The Bulls have done this with a slew of short-term contracts and deals that features team options. By being fiscally responsible with their spending during the past offseason the Bulls are one of just a handful of teams that are slated to have the cap room. The Bulls could use that room to sign DeMarcus Cousins away from the Kings.

Instead of losing Cousins to a team like the Bulls for nothing, the Kings could trade him for a couple of players and draft picks.

Should the Sacramento Kings trade DeMarcus Cousins, it will not be for basketball reasons, but for organizational purposes. The constant denominator in the Kings’ struggles over the past six seasons is DeMarcus Cousins.

His talent and ability are being canceled out by losing. One has to consider the fact that Cousins has never played with a group of veterans that can teach him how to be a leader. The Kings are not in that position to acquire veterans. Because of this, it would be best that the Sacramento Kings trade him.

[Featured Image by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images]