The NBA trade rumors for DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins persist even as the Sacramento Kings front office continues to deny that he's available.
The situation has become frustrating for both sides and it's taking its toll on Cousins. In a revealing interview with The Vertical's Michael Lee at Yahoo Sports, he voiced out his frustration.
Even in the offseason, anything that Cousins says (via interview or social media) is taken in the worst possible way.
Case in point is when Boogie said this: "I do my job. I don't really understand what's going on. I just control what I control. I let them do their job," it was taken as criticism of the Kings' draft decisions.
"I'm trying to figure out what I said wrong. Of course, they've twisted it into something negative, in some type of way," Cousins told The Vertical. "I'm clueless. It's to the point now, where I don't want to say anything about any situation. Then I'll be the bad guy about that as well. Anything I do. Anything I do, it's ... it's whatever, man."
The media is not entirely baseless with their reaction. Cousins has openly feuded with coaches and had outbursts on the court and in the locker room.
While he has voiced out positive reactions over draftee Skal Labissiere, he tweeted "Lord give me strength" curiously, after the drafted Greek center George Papagiannis with the 12th overall pick.
Cousins also mentioned something positive about former teammate Rajon Rondo, who's now with the Chicago Bulls.
"Rondo really made my job a lot easier, offensively," Cousins said. "It'll be a different look."
Yet another different look, and Sacramento has failed to keep someone that Cousins liked-reminiscent of when the Kings' fired head coach Mike Malone.
It seems like the Kings, intentional or not, always ends up annoying Cousins which is why it is believed that GM Vlade Divac, despite the denials, is already listening-even waiting for the right offer.
One team that should make a move is the Chicago Bulls as proposed in Inquisitr. They already have Rondo and they also have Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. Bringing Cousins to that core makes them instant contenders in the East.
Of course, it's expected that Sacramento will demand a "King's ransom" for their superstar. It's unlikely that the Kings would need a center in return, but if they do, they could send Robin Lopez. Bobby Portis, a rising star who was named to the Summer League first team, is also a good trade chip.
The Kings would need point guards and the Bulls could send Jerian Grant (if they can't trade Denzel Valentine). If the Kings want a versatile forward, Nikola Mirotic could be included.
A package of Portis, Mirotic, Grant and draft picks is a decent haul for Cousins. The Kings add firepower and youth in multiple positions. For the Bulls, this is a trade that could take them face to face with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown.