NBA Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins Won't Leave Sacramento Kings Any Time Soon

The road to recovery remains a long and arduous one for the Sacramento Kings, even with the approval of a new $391 million arena plan, but one of which DeMarcus Cousins appears ready to be a part.

According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, the mercurial Cousins, the one player who might well be held responsible for Paul Westphal's firing earlier this season, wants to be a part of the long-term solution in California's capital:

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“Sacramento is where I want to be,’’ he said. “I want to bring the organization back, help the organization get started back winning. I love the city of Sacramento. That’s where I want to be. End of story.

“We can dig a hole, throw that topic in there, cover it with dirt, pack it down. I want to be in Sacramento. End of story.’’

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Those words come as music to the ears of frustrated Kings fans, from whose team Cousins nearly attempted to excise himself before Westphal was let go.

As it stands, the Kings will almost certainly miss the playoffs for the sixth time in as many seasons barring a miraculous turnaround in their current 12-24 record. Boogie has been one of the few bright spots for the Kings during a dismal 2011-12 campaign, with per-game averages of 16.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.26 blocks at the age of 21, in just his second NBA season.

Granted, it hasn't all been peaches and cream for Cousins on the court this season—he's shooting just 43.6 percent from the field—but there's no denying that the Kentucky product's got some serious game, hot head or no.

He's one of only 10 players in the NBA who averages a double-double and boasts the skill, the footwork and the shooting ability to establish himself as one of the league's elite big men. Assuming he hasn't done so already.

Cousins will have to improve defensively if he's to challenge the likes of Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum for supremacy at center, though he's arguably already superior offensively to either of those two.Between him, former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and current rookies Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette, Sacramento has itself a promising young core to build around and a coach in Keith Smart with whom the roster can grow.

All the Kings need now to become a contender in the Western Conference again is time—and plenty of it. Whether the Maloof brothers afford their nucleus the requisite time and patience to develop into a powerhouse remains to be seen.

For now, the Kings can at least take a modicum of comfort in the knowledge that DeMarcus Cousins will be along for the ride.

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