DeMarcus Cousins has been one of the most sought-after players in the league. But, due to the recent controversy he got involved in, it seems the Sacramento Kings are having a hard time getting proper trade deals for him.
Cousins as well as Rudy Gay have been the Kings' top players. With these two guys, Sacramento has been expected quality trade offers from other teams. However, right now, it seems the franchise is having difficulties shopping him around due to the latest controversy he got involved in.
Recently, the Sacramento Bee posted a video of Cousins launching a profanity-laced tirade against one of its reporters Andy Furillo. According to the news site, Cousins yelled at Furillo after the latter published a report about the athlete assaulting a couple at a nightclub in New York.
Furillo also reported about Cousins' brother Jaleel, an aspiring player for the NBA, getting arrested in Florida back in May.
"Don't ever mention my brother again," Cousins said to Furillo in the video. "You don't know my [expletive] brother. Say whatever you want about me but don't mention my [expletive] family."
According to Bleacher Report, this incident has affected the trade value of Cousins. Because of this, the Kings are reportedly considering retaining Cousins rather than losing him in a lopsided deal. If they keep Cousins, then the Kings will most likely re-structure their roster around him.
"Kings ownership is unwilling to give away arguably the top center in the game for what amounts to a handful of young guys and the promise of the future draft picks that amount to a handful of magic beans," insider Steve Kyler said.
"Sure, the Kings could land someone new in the draft, but they are invested in Cousins and believe the best scenario for them is to build around them, even if there is risk somewhere down the road," he added.
This strategy of building around Cousins could certainly still work for the Kings since he is still considered as the pillar of the team despite the various reported incidents about him. As noted by coach Dave Joerger, he is still the "face of the franchise," according to ESPN.
