NBA Trade Rumors 2017: Suns Discuss DeMarcus Cousins Trade with the Kings
Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is clearly one of the best players in the entire league. Only a handful of big men have the skills and mobility that Cousins boasts, and he fills up the stat sheet every single game. However, his name has appeared in trade rumors season after season.
The latest rumor comes from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. Gambadoro said the Phoenix Suns have talked with the Kings about a potential deal involving Cousins, and he said the Suns have offered small forward T.J. Warren, center Alex Len, and their first-round draft pick this year in exchange for the All-Star center.
Since the Suns are currently at the bottom of the Western Conference (second-worst in the National Basketball Association or NBA), the pick should be in the top 10. That's a huge offer. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are expected to enter this year's draft, and this may give the Kings a chance to land one of them. That is, if they accept the offer, of course.
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Furthermore, Gambadoro said that it's possible the Suns might offer more assets to acquire Cousins. Can they entice the Kings to part with their franchise player if they offer more draft picks? He also revealed that the Suns would not include their starting guards, Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker, in the deal.
Cousins has always been a force to be reckoned with in the offensive end of the floor, and he's not a bad defender either. However, his antics on and off the court have often overshadowed his accomplishments.
Suns fans may be a little apprehensive about acquiring a player who can't seem to control his emotions, but Suns general manager Ryan McDonough believes that they can manage a player like Cousins.
"I think coach Watson is probably either at or near the top of the list in terms of current NBA coaches who would be able to manage a difficult player," he said on the "Burns & Gambo" show (via Arizona Sports).
It should be noted that he didn't say outright that he was talking about Cousins, although he admitted that they were looking to add an elite player "in his prime or in his early to mid-20s." Cousins is 26 by the way.
Can the Suns acquire Cousins before the trade deadline? NBA fans will find out in a few weeks' time.
