National Basketball Association

The Sacramento Kings Are Failing DeMarcus Cousins - Again

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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It’s time for both the Sacramento Kings and DeMarcus Cousins to move on from each other

Imagine being drafted into the NBA.

You sign your first contract and perhaps commit to an extension a few years down the road. Your team acquires some talent that could potentially bring you into a contender’s role, but you end up missing the playoffs for six straight seasons.

This is DeMarcus Cousins‘ story.

The Sacramento Kings are already 4-7 to start the young season, and Cousins is performing just as anyone would expect him to. But the possibility of the Kings missing the playoffs – again – is still a lingering concern.

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Without making the necessary adjustments to feed Boogie the help he needs, the Kings are continuing to set him up for disaster.

Abandon the draft

Cousins is the best center in the NBA, no questions asked. His talents are being wasted on a team that can’t seem to ditch the idea of drafting. It’s as if the Kings feel they need to rebuild, even though they have a talented core as is. Granted, it is wise to use draft assets as a means of acquiring talent at a lower cost, but they could at least draft someone with higher prospects.

Isaiah Thomas was taken 60th overall by the Kings in the 2011 draft, and wound up being a steal. We all know what happened next. The Kings let a prime point guard slip between their fingers, and now Thomas has a solid future in Boston.

Ben McLemore is showing us he’s not a good NBA talent, and Willie Cauley-Stein hasn’t provided enough off the bench despite his stamina. There was a slight chance the Kings could have made an upgrade in their core lineup, as there were rumors of the Cavaliers and Kings swapping McLemore for Shumpert. No dice, however.

Skal Labissiere was acquired through a trade with Phoenix. He’s managed eight points per game coming off the bench, but his size and skill are fruitless given his placement on the depth chart.

It just seems like the Kings need to remove themselves from future drafts altogether, or move Cousins if they only look to acquire younger big men every summer.

Possible destinations

If the Kings are generous enough to move Cousins, his landing spots are a bit up in the air at this point.

A roster in the Eastern Conference would be a viable place for Cousins to be, though. There are teams in the East that desperately need a center like Cousins. The Celtics were a front-runner for Cousins at one point, but managed to secure Al Horford. There are still other teams Cousins would be a good fit for.

The Charlotte Hornets are without a talented center. Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes round out the position, and neither has been truly effective in recent years. If the Hornets are given the chance to bring in a well-rounded talent like Cousins, they’d be wise to accept. Unfortunately for Charlotte, they’d have to take the risk of moving one of their more expensive assets such as Nicolas Batum or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, two of the best players on that team.

It’d also be interesting to see Cousins end up in Milwaukee. The Bucks have had multiple reports linked to them about moving Greg Monroe, and if that move is still on the table, they could try to use Monroe as bait for Cousins, which would turn them into an immediate contender.

From the Kings perspective, they wouldn’t be in a bad position acquiring Monroe because of his offensive skill set. He’s played at center for the Bucks the past couple of seasons, and although it’s not his natural role, he’s gotten the job done. A Cousins/Monroe swap doesn’t seem like a sound trade, so the Bucks would have to throw together a little package deal. Nonetheless, both parties would be in good standing if this ever went through.

This is all speculation, of course, but Cousins does need a change.

In a perfect world, the Sacramento Kings keep Cousins and secure elite-caliber players to surround him with. Ideally, however, the Kings send Cousins to a team that shows a strong case at being a contender, and once again, rely on the draft for the future.

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