Maybe we should all pump the brakes on the DeMarcus Cousins speculation. Or at least that’s what the Kings would like us to do.
Despite reports that Sacramento may look to trade Cousins, Kings general manager Geoff Petrie made it abundantly clear Tuesday that the team has no intentions to deal the controversial big man.
“You can put that one to rest,” Petrie told NBA.com’s David Aldridge. “He’s not going anywhere. You can lay that to rest. Some of that stuff lives in its own reality.”
Reports have surfaced recently indicating that Cousins is on the market. According to Kentucky Sports Radio, the Celtics, Mavericks, Magic and Bobcats are four teams looking into the 22-year-old, although Petrie’s comments seem to indicate that a deal is hardly a foregone conclusion.
Still, despite Petrie’s denial that the Kings are looking to move Cousins, there are some who still believe the 6-foot-11 big man is very much in play. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports that Cousins is on the market, but that the asking price is “way too high right now.”
Cousins, who was the fifth overall pick in 2010, has tremendous upside. However, he’s a very undisciplined player who lets emotions get the best of him. He was even suspended by the Kings a couple of weeks ago for “unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team.” The suspension really kick-started the trade rumors, but Petrie is adamant that Cousins is a part of the team’s future plans.
“Everybody’s moving forward,” Petrie reportedly said. “He’s still a young, developing player that’s yet to reach his potential and is still a major piece of the future planning here. Everyone’s committed to working with his development as a player and his overall growth. … He’s still an important part of the future. He’s like a lot of people. Some have good days, and some days are better than others. We’re going to continue to work with him to help him reach his potential, which is still very high.”
Cousins is in the midst of his third NBA season. The Kentucky product is averaging 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
