NBA Trade Rumors 2017: Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns Negotiate For DeMarcus Cousins?
With just a couple of weeks remaining before the trade deadline, rumors have it that the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns recently sat down to negotiate a trade that includes DeMarcus Cousins.
Arizona Sports reporter John Gambadoro said recently that the Suns and Kings are discussing a possible deal involving Cousins.
Cousins is part of the National Basketball Association All-Star 2017 roster. This season, the 26-year-old forward currently marks an average of 28.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
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According to Gambadoro's report, in exchange for Cousins, the Phoenix Suns' will trade out at least three men, including their forward T.J. Warren and center Alex Len. The Suns will also reportedly give away their first round draft pick for 2017. It was made clear that the Suns is not giving away the team's main guards Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker.
However, according to previous reports, Cousins is planning to sign a contract extension with the Sacramento Kings that will make him $200 million richer in the next two years. But the deal extension will also take away his unrestricted free agent status until the summer of 2018.
On the other hand, Cousins' name has been popping up in the NBA trade rumor mill, especially now that the team is not performing well lately and considering the status of his contract.
Cousins' ability to bring his A-game inside the court is undeniable. In fact, most of Team USA's success in the 2016 Rio Olympics last August were attributed to the 6-year professional baller.
However, he is also becoming notorious for his attitude. There have been reports that some team executives are a bit hesitant to acquire the talented player because of his behavior on and off the court. Arizona Sports noted that in Cousins' NBA career, the All-Star player already has 105 technical fouls record and has been fined and suspended several times for various reasons.
According to Lakers Nation, the Sacramento Kings had also been in negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers for a possible trade with Cousins. However, the report shared that the Kings were asking for "a lot of compensation" that might have derailed the talks.
The 2017 NBA Trade Deadline is set on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 3 p.m. EST.
