With a new head coach anything is possible for the Sacramento Kings. George Karl took over in the last half of the regular season and there were expected to be changes to the roster as he looks to get in the players that best fit his intended system. Naturally, DeMarcus Cousins' name was first on the chopping block as the center suddenly became the focal point of every headline with trade rumors swirling.
Adrian Wojnarowski got the ball rolling when he reported that Karl was trying to convince the Kings' front office to trade Cousins before the NBA Draft. It was reported that his relationship with the center might be irreparable and a trade would be the best way for both parties to move forward. Naturally, every team in the league came forward with a purposed trade plan, but the Kings are not totally on board with the idea.
According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, Kings' owner Vivek Ranadive will not allow Karl to shop Cousins in any trade deals. Sacramento's front office has been very pro Cousins since trade rumors surfaced. They have said multiple times that the center is their player to build around and he believes other free agents will flock to the Kings in order to play with an elite big man like Cousins.
"I have no idea where that's coming from," Ranadive said, via USA Today Sports. "But if you like, you should talk to [Kings vice president of basketball and franchise operations] Vlade [Divac], because I know Vlade feels exactly the same way. And I'm deferring to Vlade on everything. We have no interest in moving him. From my perspective, it's really simple: We feel that he's a one-of-a-kind player, and we have a group of players right now and we're going to build on it."
Rumors will swirl around Cousins with the draft just over 24 hours away, but for now the Kings do not appear to be budging regardless of what Karl wants. Instead, they are setting their sights on players to bring in and the top target is Rajon Rondo. Yahoo Sports is reporting there is mutual interest between Rondo and the Kings. Sacramento has been eyeing the point guard for some time now and as he hits free agency, Sacramento could be the perfect place for him to rebuild his image after a roller coaster stint with the Dallas Mavericks.
In order to sign Rondo, the Kings need cap space. That is where trades come into play and Rudy Gay could be the first available. Wojnarowski is reporting that Gay is available in trades so that a player like Rondo can be signed. With $8.6 million projected in cap room, the Kings could use that to sign Rondo to a smaller contract, but if he demands more then a deal for Gay is necessary.
The Kings need a point guard and Rondo would be the ideal fit. The team could try and draft a player for the position, but the No.6 pick might not be enough to land them the talent they need.
