The Sacramento Kings are hoping they are on the verge of success in the coming seasons. The team has hired George Karl who is a former Coach of the Year while earning the No.6 pick in the NBA Draft. They have the potential to really put quality players together in both the draft and free agency. However, the biggest question surrounding the Kings is not who will be joining the team, but who could potentially be leaving.
According to Kings general manager Vivek Ranadive while speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, DeMarcus Cousins is off limits to teams. The center has faced a number of trade rumors surrounding his name over the past year and they only increased when Karl was hired by the franchise. However, Ranadive said, "DeMarcus is untradeable and a guy who we want to build around."
This is a wise move for the Kings. Sacramento is ready to be contenders and Cousins will be a critical piece to that puzzle. While the center could get the Kings a lot in return, he is also one of the best young big men in the league and a center piece of the team. With Cousins being ruled untradeable, teams like the Boston Celtics will have to look elsewhere for a big man.
According to the Boston Herald, the Celtics were very interested in the possibility of acquiring Cousins in a trade as they view a center their biggest need heading into next year. Instead, the team will have eye players like DeAndre Jordan, Greg Monroe and Marc Gasol instead for size under the basket.
With Cousins staying put, who will the Kings bring on for help? The Kings need an effective 3-point shooter like D'Angelo Russell along with an interior defensive presence. Drafting at No. 6 will not land them Karl-Anthony Towns, but might get them someone like Willie Cauley Stein or a riskier pick in Frank Kaminsky. Justise Winslow could also be a target to help Ben McLemore and Rudy Gay. The Kings have options in the draft if they opt to remain at No. 6.
There will still be teams that hope Cousins is more available than the Kings are letting on. Elite centers are in high demand with a number of teams needing to improve on defense. The question becomes whether or not the Kings will be able to turn down a quality offer for Cousins?