NBA Trade Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins, D'Angelo Russell and More Buzz
With the draft in the books and free agents unable to officially sign until July 10, many of the latest NBA rumors are all about the possibilities of trades, with some big names supposedly on the market.
Below, we'll break down three of the biggest rumors making the rounds in NBA circles right now.
DeMarcus Cousins for D'Angelo Russell Swap?
According to Mark Heisler of Forbes, the possibility of a DeMarcus Cousins-D'Angelo Russell trade is still on the table, though what might be holding back a deal is the enormous price the Sacramento Kings have been asking to move their star center.
Before the draft, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Kings were asking for the Lakers' No. 2 pick along with Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and future picks.
In other words, the Kings want the future core of the Lakers in exchange for Cousins. That's a hefty price, and one the Lakers seem unlikely to match.
On the other hand, the Lakers probably aren't interested in waiting five years for a winning record. Trading for Cousins and adding players like LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love—and maybe Rajon Rondo—via free agency to pair with Kobe Bryant could quickly vault the Lakers back into playoff contention.
But the Lakers seem unlikely to part with Russell, at least based on the glowing reviews coming from the team.
“He’s got gifts that you can work really hard and long on and still not acquire those gifts,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “Some of them you’re just born with or somebody sprinkles a little gold dust on you at some point. It’s just there.”
“We really felt the kid was special,” head coach Byron Scott added.
Plus, there are plenty of reasons to think the Kings won't want to trade Cousins, especially to the Lakers. Nonetheless, this is a rumor worth paying attention to over the next two weeks.
Marcus Smart on the Trading Block?
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, the Celtics would entertain moving Marcus Smart:
It's hardly surprising the team would consider moving Smart. They already have Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and James Young at guard, and they drafted Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter. They are absolutely loaded in the backcourt, and it would be shocking if they didn't move some of those players to address other needs.
Smart is probably the most appealing option of that group, given his age and contract, especially if he is moved to a rebuilding team with a slew of big men (cough, cough, the Philadelphia 76ers, cough).
If the Celtics don't think they can address their needs through free agency, it wouldn't be surprising if Smart ended up getting dealt.
Roy Hibbert on the Way Out?
It appears Roy Hibbert is set to leave Indianapolis, according to Marc Stein of ESPN:
Hibbert had a decent season for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 76 contests, but his lackadaisical play at times and his poor fit with the up-tempo system Indiana wants to run make him a major candidate to be dealt.
The fact that the team drafted Myles Turner on Thursday seemed to indicate they would be moving on from Hibbert. And given his big contract, the team would probably love to clear him from the books. On the other hand, unless they get a decent big in return for Hibbert, losing him could really hurt Indiana's postseason odds.
It's a tricky situation for the Pacers, but it certainly seems like the team is done with Hibbert.
