National Basketball Association

Kings owner weighs in on the possibility of trading DeMarcus Cousins

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:57 p.m. ET

foxsports

DeMarcus Cousins has been the constant subject of trade rumors for the past couple of seasons, due to a combination of his All-Star skill set and a continuing level of dysfunction in the Kings front office. But ever since Vlade Divac took over the GM role last September, he's insisted that Sacramento would not trade the player who is currently the face of the franchise.

In an interview with USA Today's Sam Amick, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive didn't seem nearly as certain.

Q: On the basketball front, what's your perspective and strategy when it comes to DeMarcus. He obviously has this season and next on his deal, and a lot of people wonder if you guys would consider trading him this season.

A: “Well again, I leave it up to (general manager) Vlade (Divac). What I see is a young guy who wants to win, and has actually matured. And I'm just repeating what I hear Vlade saying, so it's better to ask him this question, but I think what Vlade really wants to see is - and the way he says it with his Serb accent - is hugs (laughs). Hugs. He wants to see hugs, and he wants to see growth as a teammate. I know that Vlade and coach (first-year coach Dave Joerger, formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies) will make the right decisions, and I don't know. Right now what I see is I'm excited for what we have.

The Kings are playing their first season in a new arena this season, and they need a star like Cousins in place to make sure the fans show up. Sacramento is projected to miss the playoffs for an 11th straight season, and as Cousins enters his seventh, he'll be doing so playing for his sixth head coach.

Cousins is under contract for two more seasons, so it's unlikely that the Kings would look to move him this year. But if the team doesn't make significant progress by the start of next season, Cousins will almost certainly be dealt, because it's impossible to imagine any reason he'd want to re-sign in Sacramento as an unrestricted free agent in 2018.