Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports
The Sacramento Kings have remained adamant about not trading DeMarcus Cousins, but holding on to Cousins may not be ideal for the Kings going forward.
Now before this column gets berated by Kings fans, let me explain why Cousins and Sacramento should explore parting ways. First off, Cousins is a rare talent who can score down low and out on the perimeter. In addition to his wealth of offensive moves, he is a ferocious rebounder and a better-than-average passer.
But the 300-pound gorilla in the room is that Cousins and head coach George Karl have been unable to come to terms with each other, and the relationship has reportedly become so frayed, that Karl wants Cousins gone.
The Kings have to ask themselves if Cousins and Karl can coexist for an entire season, and if they can’t, would it be wise to look for a trade now? Because if it doesn’t work out next season, Cousins could be demanding a trade from Sacramento, or Karl may be shown the door. Either situation could be a major setback for the Kings.
Although trading a talented big man such as Cousins is a ridiculous proposition on the surface, it may be what Cousins and the Kings need. Believe it or not, the Los Angeles Lakers may be the best trading partner for Sacramento.
The Lakers do not have many assets to do a straight up trade with the Kings, but if they can partner with a third team, they could offer the Kings the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, and the Kings could also get either additional picks or veteran help from a third team.
But the real prize for Sacramento would be the No. 2 pick from the Lakers, in which they can use that pick to get Jahill Okafor, a player who has the skills to become one of the best big men in the league in a few years, and could be a better tag-team partner to Rudy Gay.
So although trading away a proven star and the face of the franchise may seem nuts, in the long run, it may be in the best for the Kings and Cousins to go their separate ways.
Kareem Gantt covers the wide world of sports for Rant Sports. For more from this author, follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and add him to your network on Google.
