The NBA trade rumor mill has ignited with the name of DeMarcus Cousins again after a renowned hoops scribe declared that he would leave in free agency.
After the stark reality of Kevin Durant leaving OKC for what he believed was an easier chance to win a title, teams with a tradition of losing had to face the reality of losing their superstar.
Zach Harper of CBS Sports quoted an anonymous executive but the impression left among his readers is that he subscribed to the thought himself. The bold proclamation that the Sacramento Kings are "fooling themselves" if they think they have a chance at re-signing the dominating yet disgruntled center when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2017-18 season.
The Kings could hold on, but even they are aware that Cousins is the only asset that they have (as of now). If they take a chance, just like the Thunder, they can lose their superstar. The only difference is that OKC still has a star in Russell Westbrook. The Kings have no one close.
The Kings also need to accept that they probably will not get a star of equal value in return. Players of Boogie's talent level are supposed to be untouchable, but if he stands to leave, the team is left with no choice.
Again, unlike the Thunder who is still projected to make the playoffs as they are now, the Kings will have to rebuild once Cousins is gone via trade or free agency.
Which is why Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer practically recommended trading Cousins to the Boston Celtics. First off, he argues that this might be the year that the Kings change their mind.
"Maybe this year will be different, since Cousins is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018. Sacramento's latest draft picks suggest the Kings are planning for life without Cousins: over the past two drafts they've selected three bigs - Willie Cauley-Stein, Georgios Papagiannis, and Skal Labissière - which is an odd thing to do for a team that needs everything except another big," O'Connor wrote.
The Kings will rebuild-that is the only recourse for them. They will not get another star but a package of young players and draft picks.
"If Sacramento ends up with a top-10 pick (for what seems like the 20th year in a row), the Kings will have the opportunity to select a potential franchise player in a stacked 2017 draft class. The pick is in limbo, since Sacramento will convey its 2017 first to Chicago if it falls outside the top 10, and Philadelphia has the right to swap firsts if Sacramento's pick is in the top 10. In all likelihood, despite the pick protections, the Kings will have a top pick unless they exceed expectations," O'Connor explained.
The best and quickest way for the Kings to secure a star is through the Boston Celtics' Brooklyn Nets' picks, specifically the 2017 pick swap. The Kings are on the negative end of a pick swap themselves, although their partner is the Sixers, a team who could end up lower than they are. The Nets' pick ensures they have at least two lotto-probably top 6 picks.
No team would trade a star even for Cousins when he's on a trade demand. No team can offer a better package of picks than the Celtics. That's the bottom line.