DeMarcus Cousins is a perplexing figure to say the least. On one hand he’s one of the greatest talents in the NBA today. A complete skill set like his makes fans crave for a player of that caliber on their team. On the other hand, nightly frustration and complaining to referees makes it hard for NBA fans to root for him. Watching him play basketball everyday is a show on its own. The Sacramento Kings are in a very tough situation. With two years left on his deal and growing annoyance with losing every year, his circumstances have to change. Here are a few ways his career could go in the next couple of years:
Tough it Out
The Kings have a record of 176-329 (.349 win pct.) since the 2010 NBA Draft. Since the days of Chris Webber and Mike Bibby, when you hear Sacramento Kings, you think of mediocrity. They are still looking to land that All-Star caliber player to pair with DeMarcus Cousins. Rudy Gay has already stated he wants to leave this off-season so him staying past the Trade Deadline isn’t likely. And acquiring veterans like Matt Barnes and Aaron Afflalo hasn’t quite worked out. Now Kings’ General Manager Vlade Divac will have some tough decisions to make. Ty Lawson, Ben McLemore, Rudy Gay, and Darren Collison are all free agents in 2017. You could off load the troubled Superstar for a slew of players and draft picks to start the rebuild. The Denver Nuggets, keep in mind, made the very same decision with Carmelo Anthony and they still haven’t recovered.
Demand A Trade
Demarcus Cousins best option would be to sit and talk with GM Vlade Divac to discuss a trade. There are plenty of teams that would love to have a player of his caliber on their roster. The Portland Trailblazers could use CJ McCollum and Allen Crabbe along with Mason Plumlee to pry away Cousins. The Miami Heat are looking to trade Goran Dragic and could add Josh Richardson and/or Justise Winslow to bait the Kings. The Milwaukee Bucks could trade Jabari Parker, Thon Maker, and Greg Monroe for Cousins and Rudy Gay. This would leave the Bucks and Kings in primed positions for their future. Other options could be for him to find a way to pair up with another Superstar like a John Wall or Russell Westbrook. In all likelihood, a 3-team trade would be needed to pull that type of move off.
Become a Free Agent in 2018
Veteran players like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony will all be Free Agents in 2018. Also, younger stars like Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Joel Embiid could also be free agents in 2018. DeMarcus Cousins will have to struggle for another year and a half but the rewards could be well worth it. The NBA cap is steadily rising and he could be in for mega million dollar contract with any team. His best option would be to find an elite wing player that needs an inside presence. In two years, Cousins will be age 28 and nearing his last big contract so making this decision then could impact the lasting impressions of his career.
Final Synopsis
DeMarcus Cousins should be at the top of every NBA team’s wish list. Being that he is slightly disgruntled, The Kings might be willing to take a discount. Putting up numbers like he does means a high draft pick might be needed especially since the 2017 Draft is high in young talent. In most cases, NBA General Managers would rather take less-than value for a player over just letting him walk for free. Averaging 29 points and 10.7 rebounds is the type of production you just can’t ignore. His temper surely will hinder his stature to some but that won’t stop the rumors flowing for potential moves. This situation will be on high alert for all fans and is something you should definitely keep an eye on in the future.
