As speculation continues about possible DeMarcus Cousins trades, the Sacramento Kings appear committed to keeping him. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Kings plan to offer their franchise player an extension this summer that could be worth more than $200 million, using the designated player exception that will be available to teams under the new collective bargaining agreement.
This is bad news if you are hoping that your favorite team might acquire Cousins. Even before the new CBA gave them this option, the Kings were reportedly more interested in qualifying for the playoffs this season than rebooting by trading their franchise player. At 15-21, they are ninth in the Western Conference, but only percentage points separate them from the 16-22 Portland Trail Blazers, who are in eighth. Despite being 20th in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating -- both of which are worse than how they ranked last season -- this team has a legitimate chance of making the postseason. The possibility of an extension only makes Sacramento more likely to hang onto him.
Of course, being able to offer Cousins that extension is different than knowing he will accept it. This is his seventh season with the Kings, and his tenure has been defined by front-office ineptitude, coaching changes, dysfunction and disastrous defense. Few would fault him for wanting out.
Cousins, however, said on a recent NBA TV appearance that, not only do the trade rumors not bother him, he wants to stay in Sacramento as long as he possibly can.
"If you would ask me, I think my jersey will be hanging in the rafters when I retire in Sacramento," Cousins said. "So not really a concern of mine. My only concern is winning games every night and pushing this team to the next level."
These signs point to Cousins sticking around past the trade deadline and perhaps for the foreseeable future. It's worth noting, though, that things can change quickly in the NBA. ESPN reported that "it would take a monster offer" to change directions, not that it would be impossible to make them change directions. Let's say, for example, that the Boston Celtics were to offer the Kings a package built around the swap rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2017 first-round pick or the rights to the Nets' 2018 first-round pick -- would Vlade Divac's front office consider it? This is hard to know, but if Cousins doesn't sign an extension this summer, then next season will be a contract year.
The reality is that, until Sacramento fixes its reputation or Cousins signs an extension, there will continue to be uncertainty about his future there. Despite him talking about having his jersey in the rafters, he has spent the majority of his time with the franchise frustrated about what's going on around him, and for good reason. The Kings have a significant home-court advantage under the new CBA, but they might still need to prove to him that they can build a winner. That task certainly is not complete yet.
