NBA free agency: 5 possible destinations for DeMarcus Cousins

NBA free agency destination No. 5: Sacramento Kings

Could DeMarcus Cousins make a return to the city that drafted him? To the place where he spent his glory years as the face of the franchise? To the organization that unceremoniously traded him away after months of reassurance that they would not? Now that Vlade Divac and the rest of the previous front office regime are gone, it certainly is not out of the question.

Ties between the player and the franchise were certainly severed, but the Sacramento Kings have turned a page and are under new management. Freshly hired general manager Monte McNair has plenty of roster shuffling to do, and it would seem that nothing is out of the question for this rebuilding team. The fan base certainly loves Cousins. He would be able to fly under the radar and rehabilitate his image on and off of the court, and backlash at any struggles (even of the injury sort) that he might have would be minimal.

Is it a fun and interesting option? Yes. Would the Kings be interested? Highly unlikely. While Divac is gone, owner Vivek Ranadive is still around, and he supported the Cousins trade and “culture change” back in 2017. Who knows if he would ever give the okay to bring him back during yet another rebuild.

The Kings don’t really need Cousins, as they are likely looking to bring in young players and future assets rather than aging veterans. They only reason to believe they would ever sign him would be to help with ticket sales and maintain local interest throughout yet another rebuild. He wouldn’t fit the on-court plans either, unless the team is looking to move on from Richaun Holmes or let Alex Len walk.

Keep dreaming, Kings fans. There is a better chance of Isaiah Thomas making a return to Sacramento than DeMarcus Cousins.