DeMarcus Cousins (Photo : Getty Images)
The biggest trade that happened so far was one that never really made the rounds of NBA trade rumors.
The New Orleans Pelicans were looking for a center. Dating back to last season, they have been linked to numerous centers. From Greg Monroe, Nerlens Noel, Brook Lopez and Jahlil Okafor among others, the Pelicans were not linked to DeMarcus Cousins because they did not have impressive trade assets and it was expected that teams like the Boston Celtics, LA Lakers or Denver Nuggets would outbid them if they tried.
In a twist that almost defies logic, the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins. While this has been discussed and anticipated for almost two years, the shocker was how paltry the haul was. This has led to strong reactions from the Sacramento Kings faithful.
The basis of the trade was that the Kings brass were "in love" with Buddy Hield-a prospect they wanted to draft. Hield had a reputation as an experienced rookie (he's only three years younger than Cousins). He was also supposed to be a scorer and an outside shooter but Cousins actually shot more three pointers than he did.
The first rounder that they will get from New Orleans is less likely to be a lottery pick now that Cousins is joining Anthony Davis. The terms, as per Marc Stein of ESPN were "Once again: BUDDY HIELD, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, one future first-round pick & one future second for DeMarcus Cousins, sources say." The Kings will also send back Omri Casspi, a player they have long wanted to trade.
The reaction from Sactown Royalty, an SB Nation team blog, showed the disappointment of the fans in general. Aside from what they got in return, the Kings credibility as a franchise has been shot.
"The issue with this trade doesn't simply lie in the return. Our front office also managed to somehow further strip their reputation of any goodwill or trust throughout the league. Vlade Divac repeatedly and publicly stated that the Kings were planning on extending DeMarcus Cousins in the summer and there was no way he was being moved. A couple of weeks pass, and look at that, the Kings went back on their word. Multiple reports have stated that Vlade Divac and Sacramento have lost all credibility with other agents, and frankly, they deserve that reputation," the article stated.
Player agents would not be very accommodating to the Kings, to say the least. They rebuild will be long and painful for their fans.
