The
Sacramento Kings are in
full-on crisis mode, with George Karl reportedly recruiting others in the organization to convince owner Vivek Ranadive to trade
emoji-tweeting franchise center DeMarcus Cousins. It sure looks like the Kings' lone All-Star and their most important player since Chris Webber has played his last game with the team, despite Ranadive and vice president Vlade Divac publicly proclaiming that he's not going anywhere. Cousins and Karl
reportedly haven't spoken since April.
Oh, and then there's this:
Wheeeeeee!
By all accounts, Cousins likes the city of Sacramento. In the summer of 2013, he committed to a contract that would keep him there until the end of the 2017-18 season. That was a big deal then, as he had experienced nothing but losing and could have decided to try to become a free agent as early as possible. There's an alternate reality where he is an unrestricted free agent right now like
Detroit Pistons big man
Greg Monroe, who was selected two picks after him in the 2010 draft.
Cousins wanted to stay, though, and things were looking up back in November with Michael Malone as the head coach and the team overachieving. You know what's happened since then, though, and it's hard to blame Cousins if he does indeed want out. The Kings fired the one coach he ever truly connected with, and their front office has had no stability whatsoever over the past couple of years. It appears that his relationship with Karl, who signed a four-year contract in February, is way, way beyond repair.
The problem, of course, is leverage. This is an extremely valuable player, but if he wants to be moved and the coach wants him gone, too, then how is the front office supposed to get anything close to equal value now? Unless Sacramento fires Karl three months after bringing him aboard -- can you imagine? -- it is hard to picture a scenario where a disaster is avoided.
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...emarcus-cousins-asked-for-a-trade-a-month-ago
