NBA Trade Scenarios: Best Destinations for Disgruntled DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins, the hot-headed young center for the Sacramento Kings, has demanded to be traded, according to a statement from coach Paul Westphal.
Cousins was considered something of a wild card coming out of Kentucky, and he has proven the people who said he wasn't worth drafting right.
Cousins won't play in the Kings' game against the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night, meaning a trade is probably imminent.
So, let's take a look at three teams that might be willing to take a chance on the talented but troublesome center.
The Celtics don't have much going for them this season. If they want to make another run deep into the playoffs, something is going to have to change.
Getting Cousins and pairing him with a veteran like Kevin Garnett would make a lot of sense for Boston.
Garnett commands a lot of respect and is good at keeping younger players in line.
Working with a guy like KG would probably straighten out Cousins. The only problem is that the Celtics don't have a lot to offer the Kings in return.
Any trade package would likely have to center around Jermaine O'Neal and draft picks. But, if the Kings can't find anywhere else to trade him, they might have to settle for a pennies-on-the-dollar offer from Boston.
At 6'7", DeJuan Blair isn't really tall enough to be an NBA center. He's a good guy to have on your bench, but he's just not a big enough presence in the paint to be effective as a starter.
Acquiring Cousins (6'11") and pairing him with Tim Duncan on the front line would be a smart move for the Spurs.
Plus, they wouldn't have to worry about Cousins acting up in a veteran-heavy locker room.
Moving Blair back to the bench and giving Cousins the starting center job would help the Spurs immensely. It might get them a top-three seed in the Western Conference playoffs as well.
The Nets can't sit around waiting for Dwight Howard forever. They need to make a move if they want to have a chance at convincing Deron Williams to sign a long-term contract with the team.
Plus, we know that they have the players and picks necessary to make a major trade. They just need to pull the trigger.
And if they can get Cousins, they might still be able to get Howard this offseason. Kris Humphries only has a one-year contract, so they could sign Howard, let go of Humphries and move Cousins to power forward.
That would give the Nets one of the most formidable front courts in basketball and would go a long way towards convincing Williams to stay.
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