The Sacramento Kings are 10-15 which has them 12th in the Western Conference right now but they don't look like a team with much of a chance this year or in the near future. The Kings though, do have one of the most sought after trade targets in the NBA in DeMarcus Cousins who would likely be able to get a lot in return for a team that may need a full makeover. The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics are reportedly among the teams that have showed interest in Cousins so far, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
As of right now the Kings continue to say they have no intention of trading Cousins but they have reportedly been taking calls on their star big man which may mean they could ship him out if they get a really good offer. Trade talks involving Cousins have been going on since the preseason and he and head coach George Karl have had a tumultuous relationship to say the least so the Kings might be more open than usual to trading their superstar.
Cousins still has two more years left on his contract after this one which makes him more attractive to other teams but it also makes the Kings less likely to trade him. The problem for Sacramento is that they don't have much hope for the future but trading Cousins would likely bring in a plethora of assets that would set them up well down the line.
The Celtics have been the team a lot of people think Cousins fits the best with because they are a very good team right now but they lack that one bonafide star. Cousins would be that guy and Boston definitely has the assets to be able to swing a deal as they have young players like Jared Sullinger or Marcus Smart they could trade along with several first round picks and David Lee's expiring contract. The Celtics would likely be able to come up with the best package for Cousins so if they do decide to make a run at him and he is made available they would likely be the favorites.
The Bulls are interesting because you don't often hear about them in big trade talks like this but they have some pieces they could trade too including Joakim Noah, who is on an expiring contract, Taj Gibson and either a young player or a draft pick. Chicago would likely be willing to trade two of their frontcourt players because they reportedly want to clear playing time for rookie Bobby Portis so they are in this mix too.
The Miami Heat are another team said to potentially be involved here and their package would revolve around Hassan Whiteside but as of right now it isn't looking like Cousins is going anywhere. The Kings know that Cousins is one of the best players in the league and he is still young (25 years old) so they will continue to let his value grow and hope their team can improve in the interim. Right now Cousins' value is at an all-time high and they would likely be able to get a ton for him but we will have to wait and see if any of the offers are too good to pass up right now.
