Sacramento Kings: Should the Kings Trade DeMarcus Cousins?

Just when you thought the Sacramento Kings had finally taken the first steps to establishing themselves as “stable” franchise, they went ahead and shattered that dream completely with an almost unthinkable move. Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Kings’ head coach George Karl was reportedly pushing for the organization to trade away superstar center DeMarcus Cousins.

When Karl took over as head coach midway through the 2014-15 season, there were many that thought he would butt heads with Cousins.

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Now, it seems as though that nightmare has become a reality. Wojnarowski reported that Karl was recruiting Kings’ management and players to try and convince Kings’ owner Vivek Ranadive to trade Cousins.

Ranadive has come out and rejected notions that he would trade Cousins away, but the recent rumors have put a strain on the Cousins-Karl relationship, forcing him to choose between sacking Karl (who is now the third Kings’ coach since the start of the 2014-15 season) and trading away one of the best centers in the league.

So, faced with a difficult decision: what should the Kings do?

Why Trading Away Cousins is a Good Idea

After the news broke that Karl wanted Cousins out, Cousins replied with this tweet (which is meant to say “snake in the grass”).

https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/613225835365949440

Oddly enough, another two players that played under Karl had previously tweeted out similar content while playing for Karl.

Now, it is unclear that the tweets sent out by Andre Iguodala and Carmelo Anthony are in reference to Karl, but it’s not just mere coincidence that all three players are somehow linked to the former Denver Nuggets coach.

However, if Cousins’ tweet is directed at Karl, the player-coach relationship now seems irreparable. From his previous relationships with coaches, it is clear that trust is an important component for Cousins. It’s no coincidence that Cousins had his best performances under Mike Malone, a coach that he trusted and was willing to work with.

Unfortunately, it seems as though George Karl won’t be getting the same benefit.

But that may not be a problem. Karl prefers his teams play an up-tempo style of offense, and having a lumbering center as the focal point of your offense is severely detrimental to its success. Cousins has shown that he can be one of the best offensive centers in the game, averaging 24.1 points per game and led all centers in that category.

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But force-feeding Cousins in the post is counter-intuitive to the style of play Karl prefers, which could be why Karl is pushing for his departure.

The other benefit to trading away Cousins is that the Kings are trading away a player yet to reach his prime and on one of the best contracts in the league. At nearly $15 million per year for four more years, Cousins’ contract is peanuts compared to some of the max contracts that will come soon under the new CBA.

With plenty of suitors, the Kings will have their pick of the bunch, and can decide on what they receive in return.

Why Trading Away Cousins is a Bad Idea

On the flipside, it’s rare to see a team in the NBA trade away a budding superstar and end up being better for it. Cousins is a rare commodity as there aren’t many physically dominating and talented centers like him left in the league. He showed just how good he was last season, and with the right team around him, he could lead the Kings to the playoffs.

For all the factors that make Cousins an attractive trade target for many teams are all the same reasons why the Kings should keep him. Cousins is young, talented, physically dominant, and on a great contract. He recorded two triple doubles and four 20 point-20 rebound games – all of which ended up in losses.

The Kings were 6-17 in the games that Cousins missed, including a 2-8 run that followed after their 9-6 start to the season.

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If it wasn’t clear enough, the Kings are rubbish without Cousins.

Of course, that could all change with George Karl at the helm. Perhaps with his choice of the roster, the Kings will be able to overcome the loss of Cousins, and improve upon their 29-53 record from last season. But should the team take that risk? Wouldn’t it be better for the team to build around Cousins – their known quantity, and search for success through that avenue?

And at the end of the day, Ranadive is choosing between Cousins and Karl. As well respected as Karl is in the league, he isn’t without his failings and rifts with players. And as good as Karl is as a coach, the NBA is a players’ league, and a large portion of the team’s success lies with the player.

It may sound harsh, but Karl is a more expendable commodity than Cousins is.

In the end, it is an unenviable position for Vivek Ranadive to be in. If he chooses to trade away DeMarcus Cousins, he could end up setting the team back and hurt their chances of success. If he chooses to sack George Karl to show Cousins his support, the Kings will continue to be the model of instability in the NBA.

Ahh, the familiar Sacramento Kings.

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