For nine consecutive seasons, the Sacramento Kings have found themselves participating in the NBA Draft Lottery and will yet again be the owners of a top-ten pick this year.
Needless to say, change is needed, but will it come in the form of trading franchise big man DeMarcus Cousins?
The former Kentucky star has routinely found his name in trade rumors and there have been whispers suggesting the Los Angeles Lakers would entertain the idea of trading the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins.
This is the ultimate dream scenario. Everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop on DeMarcus Cousins. He has been marked as the next disgruntled superstar to be moved, despite Sacramento’s insistencethat it has no interest in trading him.
But this is the Kings we’re talking about, and if Cousins forces their hand, they will have little recourse but to take offers (I reiterate: This is the most idyllic of ideal scenarios).
And the Lakers are in prime position to cash in with their war chest of assets.
For starters, they can offer the Kings the No. 2 pick in the draft—a shot at replacing Cousins with another uber-talented center prospect, be it Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor.
In a way, it does make sense for both basketball franchises because pairing DeMarcus Cousins with Kobe Bryant and another free agent or two puts the Lakers back in contention while giving them a young franchise star.
As for the Kings, it gives them a chance at a clean rebuild while acquiring a player who could very likely be the equal of Cousins. Still, it seems unlikely and a bit of a pipe dream.
