Sources: George Karl pushing for Kings to trade DeMarcus Cousins

Yahoo Sports

By 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.

Karl has been recruiting Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac and multiple players on the Kings' roster to unite with him in making the case to owner Vivek Ranadive that Cousins needs to be traded, league sources said.

George Karl (right) doesn't have the same level of trust with DeMarcus Cousins as Mike Malone did. (Getty Imag …
Since the end of the 2014-15 season, Cousins has become aware of Karl's campaign to move him – including teammates telling Cousins, sources said. All around the Kings and Cousins, there is a growing belief the coach-player relationship is irreparable. Trust is a constant theme with Cousins, and he's been unable to build any with Karl, sources said.
No one in the Sacramento organization – not coaches, nor players, nor support staff – wants to imagine the combustible scenario awaiting Karl and Cousins should the Kings try to reunite them in training camp.

Ranadive has remained the biggest Kings advocate for holding onto Cousins, and several sources indicate he has become irritated with Karl's insistence that the coach doesn't believe he can manage the supremely skilled and strong-minded star. Cousins has held a firm loyalty to former Kings coach Michael Malone, whom Ranadive fired shortly into last season. Under Karl, that relationship couldn't begin to be duplicated in the final weeks of the season.

Karl and members of the Kings front office have made it clear to opposing team executives and coaches that they hope to soon have a formal ownership authorization to actively shop Cousins, sources said. Kings officials, including Karl, have discussed potential deals informally with other teams, but no other front office has felt comfortable that any deal can happen until Ranadive is fully on board.

For now, the Kings are pursuing trade scenarios for everyone on the roster, including talented forward Rudy Gay, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Sacramento officials believe it will be difficult to find a trade partner that can give the Kings the value it wants for Cousins – and has a better chance to find a deal for Gay, sources said.

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. Ranadive doesn't want to rebuild with a move into a new arena on the horizon, and Karl is chasing Don Nelson's all-time NBA career victories record. Karl's interest isn't in cultivating long-term assets, but rather compiling as many victories as possible in the near future.

Most teams trying to trade into the lottery believe the Kings are determined to package the sixth overall pick to bring back veteran talent.

Gay signed a three-year, $40 million extension that starts with the 2015-16 season, a contract that has become even more palatable to teams with the sharp rise coming in the NBA salary cap. Gay has played well in his two-plus seasons with the Kings and remains a target of interest with multiple teams, front-office executives said.

Sacramento is motivated to find a way to create more salary-cap space with possible deals, something that the Kings will need to pursue Dallas Mavericks free-agent point guard Rajon Rondo, league sources said. The Kings and Rondo have a mutual interest, with Rondo intrigued with the idea of a potential one-year deal in Sacramento that could help to rebuild his league-wide value, sources said.

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Wouldn't it be ironic if Rondo somehow helped the Celtics obtain Cousins?

Sam

This situation was being written about as soon as Karl was named Sacramento's head coach during the past season. So, it is not too terribly surprising to read again that Karl does not really want Cousins on his team.

It is also not surprising that the Kings front office people recently said that they had zero plans to trade Cousins. Of course, to protect his value in a trade they had (have) no other choice but to say that he will not be traded. Admitting that they wanted to trade this guy so early in the off season would have greatly lowered his value all around the league.

This is NBA smoke screen season, but it looks like Cousins can be had in trade. Just a matter of which team is going to offer the Kings what they think is the best deal.

If the Kings trade Cousins it would seem to me that they are actually taking a step or two backwards hoping to eventually take some steps forward. Averaging only 26 wins per year for about the last ten years in the western conference may finally be telling them that the plan they are on now is not working and needs to be adjusted. Having Cousins for five of those ten years may mean that they are going to try to progress without him in whatever their new plan may be.

A change of scenery for Cousins seems to be nearing, and if he lands in the right place he could turn his new team around. His talents would look good in a Celtics uniform.

actually Wide,

it's more like the Kings want to get into the playoffs sooner. everything I read says they are NOT looking for draft picks, but instead vet players that KARL can win with.

Faried and Lawson would be two pieces that Karl HAS gotten to the playoffs with before.

Karl and Cousins games are like oil and water.

I think there is a real chamce that Ainge at least gets into the game for any Cousins trade.

and it can actually be done before the end of this NBA season yet.

that would mean Danny can keep the trade exceptions he has, resign any/all of his own FA's and still even have the Mid level exception to use if need be.

or he can chose to go under the cap at the start of the new league year in July as well. though that may actually limit his choices.

I would imagine it's George Karl.

Certainly active enough to keep us awake on Thursday evening.

Sam

Can the C's beat what the Lakers have to offer (one report says the 2nd pick and Julius Randle, not sure if anything else was included). What would we have to give up to beat this offer??

Shamrock,

Maybe Okafor and randle , basically two rookies would be enough for the 6o something Karl to want to coach, but I dounbt it.

check out my thread below about Divac= kiss of death.

in there I layed a three way deal with Denver that I feel is one way Danny can get Cousins AND be fair to all three teams.

Karl wants Lawson and Faried from denver.

Denver wants to rebuild

maybe Danny wants Cousins?

in my example we give up Bradley and Sully, #16 pick and a second rounder next year to Denver.

Zeller, #45 and a first next year goes to the Kings, aliong with Lawson and faried from denver.

we get Cousins.


I think that deal works for a cap even, but there are other ways to get it done.

Bob and KDP,

Yeah, I saw the reports that Karl wants veterans so he can win now. If Karl is really calling the shots, the scenarios you present may be possible. That being said, I feel that the general perception would be that the Kings got hosed in either of those scenarios. In contrast, nobody could call them fools for accepting the Lakers offer, particularly if Boogie is unhappy. Let's hope I'm wrong though...

If the Celtics get Boogie, he automatically becomes a maturing natural leader who is all about the team and winning.

If the Lakers get Boogie, he automatically becomes an insufferable egomanic who destroys his own team spirit and acts as a lightning rod for the competitive instincts of opponents.

I can't help it.  That's the way it is.  Right, TJ?

Sam

bobheckler wrote:

Shamrock1000 wrote:Bob and KDP,

Yeah, I saw the reports that Karl wants veterans so he can win now. If Karl is really calling the shots, the scenarios you present may be possible. That being said, I feel that the general perception would be that the Kings got hosed in either of those scenarios. In contrast, nobody could call them fools for accepting the Lakers offer, particularly if Boogie is unhappy. Let's hope I'm wrong though...

shamrock and kdp,

Another thing Danny has going in his favor, which the Lakers cannot overcome, is that they might want Cousins OUT of the WC in general and especially out of the Pacific Division.  The absolute worst nightmare for a GM is that a traded player has huge games against them.


bob


.

Good point - nothing could be worse for the Kings PR than Boogie regularly punishing them for the next ten years.

Aren't the 76ers paying McGee again this season?

Doubt Boogie winds up in the WC.CROSSING MY FINGERS.

In the water closet?  Is he known to have a bad bladder?

Sam

sam wrote:If the Celtics get Boogie, he automatically becomes a maturing natural leader who is all about the team and winning.

If the Lakers get Boogie, he automatically becomes an insufferable egomanic who destroys his own team spirit and acts as a lightning rod for the competitive instincts of opponents.

I can't help it.  That's the way it is.  Right, TJ?

Sam

Lol Sam. Very true.
It is interesting how we view our own players and other teams players.

I'll never say never but the odds are so slim of Danny getting a trade done for Cousins. I think a more realistic opportunity is Danny sign Love and Lopez, trade Sully or KO or both for some solid role players and sign Bass as a backup PF. Zeller slides into backup center position.

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Sam, you are so funny. WC is the Western Conference.