DeMarcus Cousins could be traded to the Utah Jazz for a pair of youngsters in Derrick Favors and Dante Exum, according to the latest NBA rumors.
The Sacramento Kings have been pegged by league sources about their stance on Cousins being a "non-starter" in trade talks, but there are too much buzz around the league to ignore Boogies' potential exit in Sac-town.
The 25-year-old has been linked to teams like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, who could certainly use an All-Star talent to catch up with super-teams. But according to Sai Mohan of Sports Illustrated's Fansided, the Utah Jazz could be one of the best landing spots for Cousins in a trade that would send Derrick Favors and Dante Exum to Sacramento.
The Jazz's frontcourt is already established with young defensive big men in Favors and Rudy Gobert, and while the two players can contribute on the offensive end, they are unlikely to dominate night after night.Bringing in Cousins would add to the Jazz's already promising roster, creating a frontcourt of Cousins and Gobert that could be scary to any teams in the league.
The Jazz have missed the playoffs in four-straight years, and while the additions of Boris Diaw, George Hill and Joe Johnson should help them secure a spot next year, Cousins would give Utah the much-needed boost to make a deep playoff run, which last happened in 2007 when Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams were still in their primes.
Meanwhile, the Kings would get a promising power forward in Favors, who could gel well playing alongside the team's roster of other big men. Favors could slide in at the four spot, giving way to the development of Willie Cauley-Stein and Georgios Papagiannis playing the center position.
On the other hand, Exum could be the point guard Sacramento has been desperately seeking. The Australian's career has been derailed by injuries, and could use a fresh start with the Kings as the team's top playmaker.
While such trade works on ESPN's trade machine, the Kings would probably want more pieces in any potential deal involving Cousins. Nevertheless, it is an intriguing deal both teams could explore.