NBA Trade Rumors: Kings owner reportedly against trading DeMarcus Cousins

The latest update on the Kings trade dance with Boogie

For the last few years, the Sacramento Kings have been debating whether to All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins. A recent update to the constant rumors had been that the Kings may move Cousins in the next couple of months and perhaps even sooner if Sacramento doesn't start winning.

However, now that doesn't seem to be the prevailing opinion.

Now, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive is saying doesn't want to trade away the team's franchise star.

From ESPN's Jackie MacMullan appearance on CSN Northeast (via PBT):

I asked about Cousins just recently again, and Vivek Ranadive, the owner of the Sacramento Kings, does not want to trade DeMarcus Cousins. And so as long as that's the case, all this talk is just that. It's talk.

Ranadive has been known to flip-flop a lot with roster decisions, so based on his track record, he could change his mind about Cousins later this week. But Ranadive's desire to keep Cousins makes a lot sense and that's not just from a basketball standpoint, where he has been an absolute beast this season averaging 27.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

From a pure business standpoint, it makes sense that Ranadive doesn't want to trade Cousins. The Kings are playing in a brand-new arena which Ranadive pushed to get built in downtown Sacramento, and having a franchise star in Couisns gives them a credible and marketable player. No offense to Rudy Gay but Cousins is the lone star on the Kings and really all Sacramento has going for them. Trading him away could negatively impact fan morale and in turn ticket sales.

Of course, the Kings could trade Cousins for another star player, providing a replacement for Sacramento's marketing strategy. But Cousins is an elite player in the league and it would be hard to find another team that would want to part with their own elite player, especially since the Kings big man hasn't been able to lead Sacramento to much success.

No matter what the Kings ultimately decide to do with Cousins, one thing is clear. Like all of the rumors surrounding him, the Kings at 6-9, remain inconsistent.