DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Miami Heat are rumored to be trading for Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins before the trade deadline.
According to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops, the Heat are among the teams interested to acquire Boogie before the deadline.
Scotto noted that the Kings are "listening" for potential deals, but have no plans to deal the enigmatic big man.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel also reported that there is "absolutely nothing" to the report linking Cousins to Miami.
Cousins is averaging 25.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this season, but only shoots a career-low of 42.1 percent from the field. The 6-foot-10 center admitted he is struggling with his play, which contributes to the King's losing record of 9-15.
The Kings are not expected to crack into the postseason as they drop to 13th place in the Western Conference team rankings, so they may as well try to trade one of their best assets to clear cap-room and gear-up for next year's free agency.
One of the possible landing spots for Cousins is the Heat, according to Scotto.
Scotto wrote: "Heat president Pat Riley and the organization are no strangers to getting the most out of talented but troubled players."
Scotto added that the Heat could give up Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow for Cousins, making Miami a legitimate title contender.
However, Whiteside and Winslow's contract of would not suffice to match Cousins' three-year $15 million deal with the Kings.
For the trade to work, the Heat could add in Luol Deng, who also has an expiring contract, according to ESPN's Trade Machine,
This way, the Kings would get plenty of cap-room to chase top free agents, while the Heat gets a star center that would instantly give them frontcourt depth.
It is likely the Heat would look for an upgrade as they try to secure a spot for the playoffs in a surprisingly tough Eastern Conference.
They may not land Cousins, but expect the Heat to chase other key players before the deadline.
