The NBA trade rumors surrounding DeMarcus Cousins is predicted to reach a flashpoint.
The outspoken Sacramento Kings center has recently tweeted out his feelings towards the team's front office and it seems to indicate a lack of trust.
At the same time, it has been confirmed by Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the Cleveland Cavaliers has inquired about Cousins in a trade.
Most experts would say that trades in the NBA do not get closed at the first call. There are lengthy negotiations and posturing but the phones could keep on ringing. Cousins is one of the NBA's top talents but his attitude keeps him from gaining "untouchable" status, not to mention he may want to bolt and a public trade demand spells disaster for any team. The Kings should trade him before that actually happens.
The rumored Cavs to Kevin Love trade as mentioned by SB Nation Kentucky Wildcats blog was the template for the rumors. In that scenario, the Cavaliers will send Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert to the Kings in exchange for Cousins and Ben McLemore, a player that the Kings want to trade. It gives the Cavs a legitimate center and Love could help solve the Kings' conundrum at the position.
The deal sounds good for most pundits and there are numerous reasons why the Kings (assuming they are the ones who refused-since Cleveland made the call) did not take the bait. Boogie Cousins is a top 10 talent and recently, Kevin Love has been underwhelming.
Another possible reason is that the Kings would probably want to address their position of need in a trade. Sacramento lacks a point guard as Rajon Rondo has left via free agency.
One possible solution is to involve the Phoenix Suns in a three-way trade. In this scenario (link here), Kevin Love is diverted to the Suns in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, while Shumpert proceeds to Sacramento.
Bledsoe is a point guard who can score and if Cousins departs, the Kings will be left with purely defensive centers. Love would've helped, but they would not be able to get the Kentucky guard (incidentally, both the Suns and Kings have their own collection of Wildcats).
There could be additions to this trade. Since Kevin Love becomes the Suns' star player at power forward (a position they've been trying to fill out as they actually chased LaMarcus Aldridge) they could trade one of their rookies, probably Dragan Bender to the Kings (when he becomes trade eligible-this trade is assumed to take place sometime before the trade deadline) along with a future first round pick.
The Kings lose their superstar but Bledsoe can be a cornerstone for them. The Suns picks are also better than the Cavaliers (as it was presumed the Cavs would add picks in a direct Cousins-Love swap) and Bender could also develop into a versatile big man alongside Willie Cauley-Stein, another Kentucky guy who's likely to step into Boogie Cousins' shoes.