Why the Sacramento Kings Need to Keep DeMarcus Cousins

The Sacramento Kings are in a difficult situation. They have a player with great potential who doesn't want to realize that potential with them according to Paul Westphal in DeMarcus Cousins. By now you've heard the story, Cousins was sent home because he wants a trade—allegedly. 

The Kings owner is saying he won't trade him. 

Cousins' agent is saying he didn't ask for a trade, and that his words got twisted. To be fair, it's easy to see how someone can confuse the words, "Trade me now!" That could mean a lot of things. It could mean "trade me now" or it could mean, well, pretty much I'm not sure what else it could mean. 

Even the way that Cousins is handling the "trade me now" demand shows a lack of maturity. Rather than own up to his own statement, he hides behind his agent and essentially lies using the mouth of his agent. It's easy to see why Westphal doesn't want him around the team. 

At the same time, Cousins is young, (if you're over 30, think how you were at 21) and lacks maturity. There's time for him to grow up. Certainly, the time is running out on that excuse, but it's still at least a year away. 

There is zero possibility of the Kings getting anything like a fair return on Cousins right now. It's a "risk/reward" situation. What the Kings risk in keeping Cousins is not outweighed by the reward in what they can get back for him. 

Cousins is a terrific athlete, averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds per 36 minutes right now. He's a 6'11", 270-pound beast. Now granted, some of those 270 pounds are the wrong kind of pounds, but that's just another thing you have to wonder about this kid. 

What happens if he decides to be his best? He has the physical tools to be an MVP-caliber player in three or four years. That's how much potential he has. There's no way that the Kings get that much back. 

When Randy Moss first came into the NFL, Cris Carter served as a mentor for him. He took care of him not just on the field, but off the field too. While Carter was still playing, Moss was was contained off the field and unable to be contained on it. Having an older player like that to help him was a huge asset for the Vikings. 

I recall watching an interview with Carter and Moss about it. Carter had Moss over to his house all the time, had Moss spending time with his family and eating dinner with him. They'd go out on the deck and talk about things like how to deal with fame and expectations. The value of that simply cannot be overstated. 

My suggestion for the Kings is to get a senior player on the team who can help Cousins grow up. It would need to be a player that Cousins would respect and it would need to be a player over 35. Ben Wallace might be a good player to look at making a trade for. 

Giving Cousins some peer-directed mentoring would be what they need to help him to mature as a person and a player, and help him evolve into the type of player he can be.