The future of DeMarcus Cousins in the Sacramento Kings roster has been the object of speculation throughout the NBA season. While the Kings team owner keep insisting that no trade will be executed involving Cousins, the rumor mill remains insistent that the NBA star will be exiting the Rajon Rondo team before the regular NBA season begins.
"DeMarcus Cousins. Look, again, Sacramento I think wants to hold onto him," said Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. He went on to say, "Certainly, owner Vivek Ranadive absolutely wants to hold onto DeMarcus Cousins. But I've been told that if you polled the rest of the organization, the vast majority are in favor of trading DeMarcus Cousins and that would include, though he denies it, Coach George Karl."
While Sacramento keep assuring fans and followers of the NBA team that DeMarcus will not be traded anytime soon, it appears that these claims keep falling on deaf ears. One of the most widely rumored NBA team expressing interest in the Sacramento Kings star are the Los Angeles Lakers. According to sources, the Sacrament Kings might find themselves trading Cousins for Roy Hibbert of Lakers.
"A blockbuster trade with the Kings for Cousins isn't beyond the realm of possibility, but it may be a stretch, especially if Roy Hibbert proves to be the perfect fit in Los Angeles early on," explained Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation. The sports analyst went on to say, "The trade rumors surrounding Cousins will almost certainly continue unless the Kings show they've turned things around in the first two months of the season."
Taking cue from the condition set by Ward in his report, it could be gleaned that the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to fully decide on whether or not Roy Hibbert is the perfect fit for the Kobe Bryant team. With the skill set of DeMarcus in mind, the Lakers might find him a more attractive fit to the NBA team's roster following the retirement of Bryant. However, Hibbert remains adamant in keeping his promise of rising to the occasion and gaining the trust and respect of Kobe Bryant in the Lakers locker room.
"Just being able to play with a great [and] being pushed by somebody that has done it and won five championships. I'm up for a challenge," shared Hibbert following his signing with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year, according to CBS Sports. Reiterating his goal to beat the odds and show that he is truly at par with the Bryant-led NBA team, Hibbert had been reportedly working hard throughout the offseason.
It appears, however, that the efforts of Hibbert are not enough. According to the ESPN Forecast Team, the Lakers star landed fifth place among the worst newcomers this NBA season. Ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers player is Rajon Rondo of the Sacramento Kings at No. 1. The second spot is snagged by Los Angeles Clippers star Lance Stephenson, while the third and fourth places are given to Dallas Mavericks stars Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams.
