It's almost the trade deadline, which means other fan bases once again want to trade for Boogie.
In what seems to now be an annual tradition, there's been a recent trend of articles examining how other teams could trade for DeMarcus Cousins. While most of the articles acknowledge that it would be difficult to pry Cousins from the Kings, they nonetheless make proposals. (Note: I'm not linking these posts simply because there's no need for Kings fans to attack other sites in comment sections.) These proposals are often guilty of overvaluing the trade assets of the team that would receive Boogie. This is normal, we've been known to do the same around here, but it's nothing to get worked up over. The Sacramento Kings aren't trading DeMarcus Cousins.
To understand why Kings fans don't need to worry, you just have to look at what's prompted such rumors.
NBA trade deadline approaching | Chicago Bulls
Another Celtics' big man rumor floating around during All-Star weekend has been their pursuit of All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. There is no indication he's available from the team, but the speculation has been he and George Karlwon't work together and Karl wants to play faster without a low post center. So Boston is rumored to give it a try. Hey, who thought they would get Kevin Garnett?
Let's look at why this makes no sense. Where is this speculation coming from that Karl and Cousins can't work well together? Certainly not from Sacramento. And I know this, not because of sources, but because you don't intentionally and sloppily pursue a coach that you think will instantly clash with your franchise cornerstone. And do you know why you don't do that? Because doing so immediately thrusts you into a position of weakness when trading your star player. Cousins himself has said he has no problem with Karl, doesn't even know Karl, but he's looking forward to having a clear direction.
Another reason we can put this rumor to rest? The trade deadline is Thursday, February 19th. The Kings first game under Karl is Friday, February 20th. Why in the world would the Kings trade their best player before even giving the Karl and Cousins pairing a single game? It simply makes no sense.
These rumors are simply the new reality Kings fans must face. Before it was because the Kings were broke and would do any trade if it brought back cash considerations. Now it's because the NBA media has been baffled by the decision making process of the Kings. And because Cousins has emerged as an absolute star. He's a player other teams and other fanbases will covet, convinced he can't possibly be happy as a Sacramento King.
Barring a public or private trade demand, the Kings are not trading DeMarcus Cousins. The only player they might trade him for will be similarly unavailable. If Cousins asks for a trade, then sure, we can pay attention to these rumors. But until that day comes, we can confidently laugh at these ideas.