DeMarcus Cousins will continue to be at the center of NBA trade rumors with each passing day as the clock ticks on his current contract.
This is a dilemma that the Sacramento Kings have to face whether they admit it or not. This was elaborated by Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer.
"If they try to trade him next offseason, with only one year left on his contract, they won't get nearly as much in return unless he agrees to an extension with the acquiring team. If they try to move him at the deadline, though, he will almost certainly be the best player on the market, and he would be the one guy who could impact the balance of power around the league."
The difference between trading at the deadline and in the offseason-a gap of about three months, can be staggering for the Kings. This is supported by a prediction from ESPN Insider Tom Haberstroh saying: "my growing sense is that Cousins might be playing in the 2017 playoffs -- for another team."
Three teams come to mind for a Cousins trade that could affect the balance of the league: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.
Both the Cavs and Warriors have a definite need for a center and seeing how they are the top two teams in the NBA with odds of them facing off in a rematch in the Finals going through the roof, Cousins joining any one of them would practically end the debate.
The Cavs have been involved in trade rumors for Cousins almost the entire summer and the bait has always been Kevin Love, with Iman Shumpert as the kicker. It's hard to see a better offer from the Cavs unless they involve a third team. The impression is that if the Kings wanted a star player, this would've been the best bet.
How can the Warriors trump that? Klay Thompson was off-limits when the Minnesota Timberwolves were asking for him in exchange for Kevin Love. Would that change if DeMarcus Cousins was the player in exchange and now that Kevin Durant is here? Thompson is likely the bait that the Kings would ask for.
The Raptors are a dark horse. They already have a starting center in Jonas Valanciunas but an upgrade to Cousins will push them closer to contend with the Cavs (they were only two games short and Valanciunas was injured at that time). Joining a team with a veteran point guard and an All-Star scoring guard is unprecedented in Cousins career. Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and draft considerations would most likely comprise their offer.
All three teams had "agents" talking to Cousins in Team USA in the Olympics. Did any of them actually recruited Boogie? Which team will roll the dice?