The NBA season is just around the corner and after pushing trade talk this summer involving Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, head coach George Karl reportedly has apologized to the center heading into the preseason. Markieff Morris publicly demanded a trade form the Suns and while he pulled back on that on media day, the Detroit Pistons reportedly are keeping tabs on the situation.
Cousins came up in trade talks around the NBA draft with the Lakers being a potential landing spot, but that deal never came close to happening. According to CSN Bay Area, head coach George Karl said last week that he has apologized to Cousins for saying that the center was not "untradeable" and added that it "was wrong of me to say" regarding the upcoming season. Cousins and the Kings have waved off trade rumors this summer as just that and with Karl apologizing, it could end the Cousins talk for a while.
Last month the Sacramento Bee reported that team exec Vlade Divac said that George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins are "on the same page" heading into the season. The trade talk likely strained the relationship between the two a bit, as reports had Karl as the main proponent looking to deal Cousins. Cousins had a career season last year and the Kings feel that he can be the centerpiece of their rebuild. The team added Rajon Rondo, Caron Butler, Marco Belinelli and Kosta Koufos in the offseason and are expecting some improvement.
Markieff Morris could remain a trade target this season after making some noise this summer about wanting to be traded from the Suns. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports that the Pistons are "monitoring" the "situation" with Morris and the Suns and could be a potential option if a deal happens. While no deal is close to being talked about right now, Ellis points out that the Pistons have a need at Morris' position and he likely would enjoy playing with his brother again.
Morris was initially upset that his brother Marcus was traded to the Pistons and he reportedly wanted a deal out of Phoenix. Morris was initially planning to try and force the Suns to trade him ahead of training camp, but he showed up as scheduled and said that he was "happy" to be with the team. While Morris is no longer demanding a trade, there is a chance that something could happen down the line and if the Pistons had a good enough deal, the Suns could listen.
Morris is on an affordable contract at four years and just over $30 million and with his talent and potential it makes it tough to get equal value back. Morris set career highs last season across the board and he is by far the best option for the Suns at his position. Other players that could come up in trade talks this season include Nick Young, Kenneth Faried and Jose Calderon.
Check here for more on the Kings, Cousins and Karl. Check here for more on the Pistons and Markieff Morris.