The DeMarcus Cousins rumor mill is churning again in Sacramento amidst all of the controversy and struggles the Kings are currently experiencing as they have for what seems like an eternity now.
For a team that was around .500 a few months ago and in the playoff picture, they are now 26-41 and getting dominated on a near nightly basis.
This season will mark the 10th in a row that the Sacramento Kings have missed the postseason, in a league where over half the teams get in.
So why should the Kings trade their one All-NBA player who is only 25 years old and averaging 25 and 11? Because he is toxic, and sets a bad example for a franchise trying to rebuild.
It is Cousins sixth season in the NBA and the Kings haven’t even sniffed the playoffs. The Kings aren’t the most talented team in the NBA, but with talent like Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo around him the Kings aren’t one of the least talented teams in the NBA either.
The big issues that worried teams about Cousins when he was drafted are still there, he is immature, full of angst, refuses to take responsibility for his actions and doesn’t listen to or respect authority.
There is no denying the immense talent and potential of DeMarcus Cousins to be the best center in the NBA, in fact some argue that he already is. However when you think about the assortment of coaches he has run out of town and the countless examples of him being unable to keep his composure and effort level up in moments of frustration, he is far from the most valuable big man the league has to offer today.
Yes, it is hard when you are a success starved team like the Kings to trade your best asset when you desperately want to get better sooner rather than later, but at this point it is clear that Cousins will never truly ‘get it’. Unless he changes his spots entirely we will see him prosper as the leader of an already dysfunctional franchise like the Kings.
As an example of how immature and unreasonable Cousins is, during the Kings game against the Cavaliers on March 9, Cousins berated Head Coach George Karl during a timeout because Karl “didn’t have Cousins back” while arguing a call with a referee. This was by no means a poor call by the official, and a game in which Cousins shot 18 free throws no less.
DeMarcus Cousin’s personality issues and inability to handle his frustration in a mature manner will always be his downfall and are the reason he hasn’t found real success in the NBA. It led to him being suspended by the Kings for the third team for behavior, including fighting with a teammate in 2011 and yelling at his coach at halftime in 2012.
As great as Cousins is, his talent hasn’t translated to wins on the court and the Kings franchise is going nowhere as long as it is built around him. Look at the leaders or star players for the best teams in the NBA right now, LeBron, Curry, Duncan, Durant, Chris Paul, none of which is led by a player with character issues like Cousins.
There are plenty of teams who would trade the farm to acquire a talent like Cousins and the Kings could utilize their haul to move past the Cousins era in Sacramento and build around players with high level character and motors.
Gaudy stats don’t always translate to wins and poor chemistry and leadership almost never does, it’s time for Sacramento to rid themselves of their 6’11”. 260 pound problem.
