DeMarcus Cousins and Klay Thompson (Photo : Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson could be the best trade target the Sacramento Kings have in mind if they plan to finally move on from DeMarcus Cousins.
It can only be a matter of time before the Kings trade Cousins, considering the dysfunction of the franchise and its rocky relationship with their All-Star center. While the Kings have flatly denied Cousins being on the trade block, it could be high time the Kings ponder about moving Cousins, according to Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders.
"Now, as Cousins arrives at the penultimate year of his current contract, despite coming off of an incredible season, the wisest thing for the organization to do is to deal him now," Hamilton wrote.
"It may sound crazy, but if it does, ask yourself two questions. First, are the Kings likely to become a contender over the next two seasons? Second, will Cousins' trade value increase between now and July 1, 2018?"
There are no indications whether the Kings really plan on dealing Cousins, who has career averages of 20.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. But if things do not pan out for Cousins and the Kings this season, Sacramento may have no better option than to trade Boogie to the Warriors for Klay Thompson, according to Zach Frydenlund of Complex.
"To this point, the Kings have rebuffed all trade offers for Boogie, but with two years left on his deal, it's time for the team to figure out what they're doing. It has been years since the Kings have been competitive and if they ever did decide to trade Cousins, they would be hard pressed to find a better option than Klay Thompson," Frydenlund noted.
Adding Kevin Durant to their lineup this summer gives the Warriors another scoring threat to an already offensively gifted team. But Durant's game is very similar to Thompson's, which may hinder Golden State to fully utilize the four-time scoring champion.
While it is unlikely the Warriors trade Thompson, who has played an essential role to the franchise's recent success in the past few seasons, a talented center like Cousins could force Golden State to consider such move.
Cousins would not only give the Warriors a threat inside the paint, but his improved shooting from outside would also do wonders for the team. Adding the 26-year-old also addresses the Warriors' need of a defensive big man. Chemistry won't also be much of a problem for the Warriors as Cousins was often seen spending time with Draymond Green and Durant during their stint with Team USA.
Meanwhile, Thompson would provide the Kings an All-Star caliber player who could be the next face of the franchise. Thompson is one of the best shooters in the league and all-around game should see him flourish under Dave Joerger's schemes. The two-time All-Star is also under contract until the end of the 2018-2019 season, which bodes well for the Kings' rebuilding plans.
Swapping Thompson for Cousins would work under the NBA salary guidelines, but it is highly unlikely the Warriors get rid of the 26-year-old guard unless their super team experiment completely fails. But if the Kings are rushing to move Cousins, trading for Thompson is no doubt a viable option.
Video courtesy: YouTube/FreeDawkins
