Sacramento Kings: Analyzing How Trading DeMarcus Cousins to the Celtics Would Benefit Them

It’s very simple; the Kings can no longer deal with DeMarcus’s Cousins’s horrid attitude that’s serving as an obstacle towards the team’s and his success, while the Celtics’ front court can’t really be called a front court anymore.

The word on the street is that the Celtics are regarded as one Cousins’s two biggest suitors, and for good reason. Kevin Garnett is reaching an impasse, Brandon Bass has underachieved for the most part thus far this year, and Jared Sullinger isn’t quite ready to hold down a main role. Obtaining Cousins would surely make the C’s front-line a more formidable one.

With that said, Sacramento’s general manager and ownership group seem to be on two different pages— Geoff Petrie (GM) wouldn’t at all mind parting ways with Cousins, while Gavin and Joe Maloof (co-owners) are a shade more hesitant towards the delicate situation.

The Maloof’s are likely thinking that they could maximize Cousins’s full value by waiting for all these negative rumors to blow over. Remember, the third-year forward already has three suspensions tagged to him just this season, and this firey side of him is no passing whim. One ill personality can effect a team’s overall personality. Ex-Kings’ head coach Paul Westphal, and current Kings’ head coach Keith smart can both attest to that saying.

Let’s go ahead and assume that Sacramento finally decides that Cousins isn’t a part of their future. Therefore, leaving them with plausible one option—trade. While roughly 100 percent of the NBA will call, they should choose the already interested Celtics as their trading partner.

Why This Would Work For the Kings:

Well, there’s the obvious; they would no longer have a fight waiting to happen on their hands. In result, others would likely feel a new sense of comfort. It was rumored that Cousins’s teammates would constantly feed the ball to him in order to avoid a tantrum.

A feeling a comfort may allow the inexperienced Kings to blossom with less of a burden, specifically rookie power forward Thomas Robinson. The fifth-pick hasn’t done much in his rookie season thus far. He’s averaging a few ticks below five points per game, and is averaging exactly four rebounds per game. Still, his minimal production is constrained because of his limited playing time and overall usage.

Perhaps Robinson could bloom without Cousins constantly hogging the ball and minutes. He wasn’t the fifth overall pick for no reason. In fact, with a good dosage of action, the Kansas product has been quite efficient, and his numbers in games where he plays 25-plus minutes, are a bit more well-represented.

Brandon Bass seems to be an obvious comprise in a deal involving the Celtics and Kings. Sacramento reportedly would want “dependable veterans” for Cousins, and Bass fits that description best.

Of course, Boston’s “true” veterans go by the names of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry, but there’s little chance of either three being moved. Frankly, there’s little chance that the Kings would have any interest either, as all three are inching closer and closer towards retirement. Bass would bring both youth and experience, which should have a shade more of appeal.

Yet Bass’s services shouldn’t entice the Kings too much because he doesn’t posses anything they don’t already have, even if deprived of Cousins’ presence.

Jason Thompson and Bass, for example, both are decent spot-up shooters, and Chuck Hayes and Bass are both very physical. Realistically, Bass would just be another undersized power forward, which is exactly what the Kings would want to avoid if they were to deal Cousins.

Instead of Bass, the Kings should target Fab Melo.

Melo is a hit or miss type prospect, to be sure. But with that label comes a slew of potential, and of course his lengthy frame of 7’0” is a guarantee, and an intriguing one.

Melo’s size, in particular, should appeal to Sacramento, as outside of Cousins, the Kings don’t have a dominant interior player. Thompson is their tallest player at 6’11”, but he doesn’t exactly use his larger frame like most nearly seven-footers would.

According to mysynergysports, he ranks 70th in the NBA in post-up situations, and 33rd in spot-up situations. Meaning, he passes up a wealth of chances to use his bulging frame to draw fouls in the paint. The rest of the Kings’ roster, meanwhile, lessens from 6’9”.

The one glaring flaw to Melo, though, is the fact that he’s yet to play in an NBA game, but this should be taken with a grain of salt. He is indeed refining his game in the D-League, but don’t be mistaken by the “D-League” phrase, as Melo’s game is rapidly evolving. On Wednesday, the 22nd second overall pick scored 32 points, hauled in nine rebounds, and swatted nine shots. Therefore, a promotion surely seems in the cards.

The final two pieces of the deal lean on the side of sure things. The addition of Avery Bradley would solidify Sacramento’s point guard situation. While Tyreke Evans was once thought to be their point guard of the future, he’s more of shooting guard when healthy, of course. Bradley is more of a prototypical leader, as he can distribute the ball more effectively. Plus, Evans could solely focus on scoring which is easily his best attribute. It’s a win-win.

Defensively, both Bradley and Courtney Lee would bring perimeter defense, a lost element in Sacramento’s struggles.

While Cousins’s potential is tough to let lose, adding reliable players with some upside may benefit the Kings more, and the Celtics can provide them with the perfect bundle of players.

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