NBA Rumors: Paul Westphal's Firing Will Stabilize Volatile Trade Market

What a fun few days it was. DeMarcus Cousins demanded a trade from the Kings. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News suggested that the Nets might be after him, possibly to move him for Dwight Howard. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle suggested the Rockets as a possible destination. 

But now, Paul Westphal has been fired in Sacramento, Cousins has rejoined the team. Naturally, a trade seems far less imminent now. 

Feigen did make one interesting point:

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When a coach and a player cannot coexist, the outcome is usually the same. Both are usually shown the way out of town. It does not happen at once, but it usually is the beginning of the end.

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That's true. Just because Westphal is gone, it doesn't necessarily mean that Cousins has a long-term future in Sacramento. But right now, the trade market is red hot. It will continue to be red hot until more of a permanent solution is found with Howard. 

The firing of Westphal may not keep Cousins in Sacramento for a long time, but it will remove the sense of urgency from any potential trade. Bondy is absolutely right. The Nets could move any trades on for Howard. Cousins would give the Magic a lot of value. Without him being a possibility, the door is closing on the possibility of Howard going to the Nets. 

And that's potentially a huge trickle-down. Remember that Deron Williams' contract with the Nets is expiring this year. If he doesn't have a sense that New Jersey is the best place for him to be, how long is it before he starts asking for trade? Even if that doesn't happen, his chances of staying in New Jersey beyond this season aren't good. 

And it isn't just Howard that makes Cousins such an interesting player. He's a tremendous young talent in his own right. That's why the Rockets were a rumored destination. That's why, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, the Celtics expressed interest. 

This cools the trade market considerably. It probably keeps Howard in Orlando, at least until the trade deadline. It keeps the Celtics and Rockets, along with who knows how many other potentially interested teams, at bay. 

Cousins' stay in Sacramento may still be temporary, but this is an urgent time for a lot of teams. A lot is going to happen between now and the time a trade would actually happen. 

Westphal's firing may have stabilized the trade market, if just for a short while. 

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