DeMarcus Cousins will not be wearing Boston Celtics green anytime soon.
So, stop photoshopping things.
All is not well with the Sacramento Kings, because all is never well with the Sacramento Kings. They’ve won three in a row, but they don’t look anything like the fringe playoff team they strived to be over the offseason, and rumors of further tension between DeMarcus Cousins, head coach George Karl and the Kings front office have already started trickling out of the speculation mill.
Naturally, the Celtics are being attached to that conjecture. They have been linked to DeMarcus Cousins since, well, forever, and they have a ton of assets to trade should the Kings decide to move on from their oft-disgruntled big man.
But no trade is on the horizon, and though Celtics president Danny Ainge created quite a stir when he intimated he couldn’t discuss Cousins (go figure), Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald maintains that Boston hasn’t had any discussions with Sacramento:
First of all, it’s important to note that, contrary to reports over the last year, multiple sources on both sides of the country confirm the Celts have yet to have a single conversation with the Kings regarding the talented but emotional Mr. DeMarcus Cousins.
It’s not that the Celtics, who open a two-game trip to Oklahoma City and Houston today, don’t realize Cousins can really play. It’s evidently more a matter of being wary about his behavioral issues and not wanting to take the risk at Sacramento’s price.
So how do the Celts know the Kings’ asking price if they haven’t had talks? Because, said one league source, they’ve seen what Sacramento has sought for DeMarcus Cousins elsewhere. And because the clubs obviously don’t feel there is room for discussion.
“I still don’t think they really even want to move him unless they can get something ridiculous,” said one league exec. “They’ve got him locked up, and it’s not easy to get good players to go to Sacramento.”
These are all good points.
The Kings aren’t just going to fork over Cousins. He isn’t an impending free agent. He has two years left on his deal after this one, and he’s a superstar now for a team that, despite its record and overwhelming incompetence, is trying to win now.
If they were to deal him, it would be for a king’s ransom (no pun intended). Superstars are still very much the lifeblood of the NBA, and the Kings have one under lock and key for the next few years. Any team that’s preparing to field an offer for his services must piece together the right combination of young talent, draft picks and immediate high-impact players. Think along the lines of the three-team trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers that landed Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Thaddeus Young and a pick in Minnesota, which was dealing a patented superstar in Love.
That kind of balance can be tough to strike. The Celtics, armed to the teeth with draft picks and traceable contracts, can likely find that happy medium, but it would entail mortgaging a chunk of their future on a player who doesn’t have a single playoff appearance. They’re also super crowded up front at the moment, and might be better off waiting until this summer, when they have cap space and Amir Johnson (player option), David Lee, Jared Sullinger (restricted free agent) and Tyler Zeller (restricted free agent) could all be headed elsewhere.
Yes, the Celtics are clearly built to complete a blockbuster trade now. But the price has to be right. If they’re going to overpay for DeMarcus Cousins, or even just entirely bend to the Kings’ demands, it’s more likely to happen over the offseason, when they have more of an opportunity to shift course and other assets in accordance with Sacramento’s asking price and Cousins’ potential arrival.
