There have been a number of rumors surrounding Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins recently. The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly been pushing to make a deal for the All-Star, but Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has publicly insisted that the team does not wish to move him.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
While Ranadive wants to keep him around, Kings head coach George Karl is reportedly pushing the team to trade Cousins according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski:
Despite Sacramento Kings management’s public insistence that DeMarcus Cousins is unavailable in deals, coach George Karl’s intense desire to trade the All-Star center has made it increasingly unlikely this coach-star partnership can peacefully co-exist next season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Lakers’ interest in Cousins is well known, but according to Wojnarowski, the Kings are looking for a deal with more established players:
The Los Angeles Lakers have had significant interest with Cousins, but their No. 2 overall pick isn’t as appealing to the Kings as finding a deal that includes established, veteran players.
The Lakers don’t have much to offer as far as veteran talent as any package the team assembles for Cousins would undoubtedly center around the second overall pick. The Lakers could also offer either Julius Randle or Jordan Clarkson in a deal for Cousins, but don’t have any established star to entice the Kings.
In any event, the rumors surrounding Cousins seem unlikely to die as the NBA Draft nears and as long as there is a possibility of landing him, the Lakers seem likely to continue pursuing a potential blockbuster deal.
[divide]