NBA Trade Grades: Pelicans Pull Off DeMarcus Cousins Heist

Sacramento Kings

For years we’ve made jokes about the Sacramento Kings and their dysfunction, but make no mistake about it: This might be the #KANGZ-iest thing they’ve ever done.

Sure, there had been questions about DeMarcus Cousins’ ability to lead a championship- or even a playoff-caliber team one day. His technical fouls, his locker room tirades and his general attitude could all be a problem from time to time. Not wanting to commit $200 million-plus to a guy like that, especially since he had never led the Kings to the postseason, makes sense.

By trading Cousins, the Kings were going to give themselves a shot at much-needed rebuild, stocking up on young players and draft picks to start fresh. They had failed to put adequate talent around him through the draft and free agency, and at this point, it might have been too late to do so.

And yet, somehow, the best they could do was Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, an expiring Tyreke Evans and ONE first round pick? A top-three protected pick, no less?

Even worse, the Kings plan on waiving one of the young players acquired in the deal:

True enough, it’s unlikely the Kings miss out on New Orleans’ 2017 first-rounder. The Pelicans would have to not only miss the playoffs, but somehow luck their way into the top-three against all odds in the NBA Draft Lottery.

It’s the fact that NOLA was even able to sneak that provision in there that’s alarming, because it suggests that at some point, Vlade Divac said, “Let’s see, how can we sweeten this deal for New Orleans?”

On the one hand, making this trade all but ensures the Kings will keep their own 2017 first-rounder, which is a protected pick they owed the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the top 10. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers also reserve the right to swap first round picks with the Kings this year by virtue of the disastrous Nik Stauskas salary dump, which also gives Philly Sacramento’s 2019 first-rounder (unprotected).

So even if the Pelican’s first-rounder doesn’t fall in the top-three and remain in New Orleans, the Kings could lose their own first round pick if it’s more valuable than Philly’s.

As of right now, Sacramento is only 2.5 games ahead of Philadelphia in the standings, and given the team’s -7.1 Net Rating without Boogie this season (compared to -2.3 with him), it’s safe to say the Kings are about to plummet down the standings to put their own first-rounder at risk.

This is also why it’s so funny a meaningless win over the Boston Celtics in which Cousins was serving a one-game suspension somehow served as a “flashpoint” in this deal.

In an ugly scenario, the Kings lose their own top-10 pick to the Sixers by virtue of those pick-swapping rights, leaving them with Philadelphia’s pick and a non-lottery pick from New Orleans. In an even uglier scenario, the Pelicans somehow miss the playoffs, win the lottery to keep their own top-three pick and Sacramento swaps with Philly, leaving them with the least valuable of the three selections.

So even if the Pelicans’ pick were somehow valuable and not a selection in the mid-to-late teens, it’d still have a chance of being downgraded.

Even without all the doom and gloom of the upcoming drafts, it’s quite clear the Kings didn’t stock the cupboard with assets like they should’ve. Hield could be a fine NBA player, but Sacramento is also where careers go to die. Just ask guards like Ben McLemore, Nik Stauskas, Jimmer Fredette, Ray McCallum…

Speaking of Ben McLemore, this trade for a young shooting adds another sense of hilarity to the equation when you remember that he was finally showing signs of life again over the last few weeks.

The hilarity turns to outright horror when you discover the Kings had engaged in Andre Drummond trade talks with the Detroit Pistons but instead settled for Hield, Galloway (who will likely be waived), Evans (an expiring contract), a first round pick (somehow top-three protected) and a second-rounder.

They also had talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, but somehow settled on this deal when Brandon Ingram wouldn’t be included. Really? The Kings couldn’t have squeezed D’Angelo Russell or Julius Randle out of all this somehow?

Did something happen behind the scenes to so drastically change the Kings’ stance on Boogie? Is Sacramento’s front office filled with liars and wafflers? Did Divac and owner Vivek Ranadive just decide to get hammered down on Bourbon Street and brainstorm Boogie trades, only caving when Demps offered to throw in 10 pairs of beads?

Again, maybe Hield will turn into a decent player, but now he joins a team that already has McLemore, Arron Afflalo, Garrett Temple, rookie Malachi Richardson and Bogdan Bogdanovic (overseas) at the 2. It’s also worth noting that aside from obviously being a superior superstar player, Cousins has actually been the more prolific three-point shooter so far too.

Hield is already 23 years old, while Boogie and all his awesome powers are only 26. Galloway, a useful bench player, is of course being waived, because #KANGZ. By not waiting until the deadline got closer, Sacramento pulled the trigger on a lesser deal instead of letting other bidders one-up each other.

Maybe this is an indictment of Boogie’s true value around the league. Teams like the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns or Orlando Magic easily could’ve put together a better offer than this, but didn’t, either because the Kings wanted too much and simply overvalued Hield, or because Cousins just wasn’t worth the risk to them.

Either way, this looks far worse on Sacramento’s part, not only because they got a miserably underwhelming return that might not even include an NBA starter when all is said and done, but also because of public perception.

Boogie was a problem child, but that child was also a prodigy. By publicly having the back of that franchise player, repeatedly saying he was their guy and shooting down all those trade rumors, they burned the bridge with prospective free agents for a long-time.

Players around the league respect Boogie and most of his teammates seem to like him, or at least appreciate what he does on the court. Unceremoniously dumping him like that, especially after publicly committing to working out an extension this summer, looks really bad and just perpetuates the truth that this is the worst run organization in the NBA.

It’s rare that you see a deal that’s not only bad in and of itself, but also has sweeping ramifications that could rear their heads for years to come.

If the Kings didn’t get anything significant back in their superstar trade, if they tarnished their image for free agents and incoming draft prospects and if they could be moving down in this year’s draft AND losing their 2019 first-rounder, how does this franchise actually move forward.

Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

The Kings have done it again, working out a trade that is downright insulting to its city and the fans that saved this franchise from relocation not so long ago. DeMarcus Cousins deserved so much better during his tenure, so it makes sense that his trade would fit the same description. In any case, #SacramentoProud has now become the most ironic NBA hashtag there could possibly be.

Grade: F