Demarcus Cousins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: West, Cousins, Ginobili, Celtics

May 31st, 2013 at 11:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

David West seems content with the Pacers, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida, but the Hawks, armed with plenty of cap space, might be planning to make a run at him in free agency this summer, a source tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. That's not entirely surprising, since Atlanta is on track to have enough cap room for a pair of max free agents. The Hawks probably wouldn't make West their top priority, since they seem ready to go after Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, but if they strike out on them, West might not be too far down the list. Here's more as we enter the final month before free agency starts:

Rival teams may have been behind a report that the Kings are ready to trade DeMarcus Cousins, Deveney hears, adding that the team's new owners have yet to decide what they want to do with the turbulent big man. Deveney wonders if the Kings might do some message-management of their own and have incoming coach Michael Malone talk up Cousins to increase his value.
As for Cousins, sources tell Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that he isn't looking for a trade (Twitter link).
Manu Ginobili's contract is up June 30th, but he told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that he has no plans to retire. The 35-year-old seems likely to return to the Spurs and expects to take a paycut to do so, though he and agent Herb Rudoy aren't starting negotiations with the team until July 1st.
The Celtics attempted to acquire either Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson at the trade deadline, but couldn't work out a deal with the Jazz for one of their big men, tweets Greg Dickerson of CSNNE.com. Boston is reportedly interested in Millsap as a free agent.
The Rockets plan to pursue Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, but with the league telling teams to expect a $58.5 million salary cap and $71.5MM tax line next season, squeezing both onto the team will be nearly impossible, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram examines.
Kelvin Sampson would have been Brandon Jennings' choice to coach the Bucks, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. The team hired Larry Drew instead, a choice that was definitely GM John Hammond's call, unlike the team's hiring of former coach Scott Skiles (Twitter links).

Cousins A “Goner” In Sacramento?

May 30th, 2013 at 10:16pm CST by Ryan Raroque

10:26PM: Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets that the new ownership has no intention of trading Cousins, also mentioning that the center is supposed to meet with Ranadive soon.

10:16PM: On the cusp of Michael Malone's agreement with the Kings, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that a source in tune with Sacramento's head coaching decision suggests that the move was made with the presumption that DeMarcus Cousins "is a goner." In an earlier piece by Sam Amick of USA Today, it was noted that former Kings head coach Keith Smart had forged a close relationship with the young center during his first season in Sacramento. Amico (via Twitter) isn't quite sure he completely believes his source and thinks the Kings will give things a chance to work, though one may wonder if the 6'11 center's future in Sacramento could be tied to how well he gets along with Malone.

Despite admitting to some growing pains during the second season, Smart spoke candidly about how he envisioned playing a role in Cousins' development, saying that a third year could have been a prime opportunity to make things work even better:

"We put a lot of pressure on a 22-year-old to carry the franchise right now, and he's probably not there yet…But that's why I just thought all the work that you had to go through to get to a certain point and understanding how to manage a player, now you go into that third year, that next stage and (you're in a good place)."

"I understand him and he understands me now. And that's where you grow…You get a chance to develop that relationship. You had to push, you had to fight, you had to argue. But you come back, and you're able to trust each other."

With Malone now leading the bench, it will be interesting to see if or how long team brass will give him a chance to work with Cousins. The picture could be much clearer on this front once a general manager is put in place, though the speculation about how their relationship could develop is intriguing nonetheless.

Draft Rumors: Cavs, Cousins, Magic, Bledsoe

May 29th, 2013 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

After updating his big board yesterday, ESPN.com's Chad Ford returns today with a handful of the latest draft-related rumblings he's been hearing (Insider-only link). With less than a month until draft day, let's round up the highlights from Ford's piece….

Nerlens Noel remains atop the Cavaliers' draft board, making him the favorite to be drafted first overall, but Ford notes that Noel's ACL injury and the Cavs' desire to make the playoffs next season mean the Kentucky center is far from a lock at No. 1. If Cleveland can acquire a young small forward or big man using the top pick as trade bait, owner Dan Gilbert may push for a deal.
One name you shouldn't totally rule out when considering Cleveland's possible trade scenarios, according to Ford? DeMarcus Cousins. Ford reports that the Cavs, Bobcats, and the Mavericks are among the clubs who could call the Kings about Cousins in the hopes of trading draft picks and/or other assets for the young big man.
The Magic have Arron Afflalo at the two guard and a more glaring need at the point, but aren't sold on Trey Burke, according to Ford, who says the team is eyeing Ben McLemore and Victor Oladipo at No. 2. If the Magic were to draft a two guard, they'd be interested in trying to trade Afflalo to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler's expiring contract, says Ford. It's not clear whether such a deal would interest the Clips.
Arizona State's Carrick Felix, USC's Dewayne Dedmon and Will Clyburn of Iowa State were among the standouts at this week's draft workouts in Minnesota, NBA GMs and scouts told Ford. On the other end of the spectrum, French big man Mouhammadou Jaiteh struggled and now projects as a late second-round pick.
In a separate piece for ESPN Insider, Bradford Doolittle examines a few hypothetical trade scenarios involving draft picks.

Pacific Notes: Bryant, Amnesty, Cousins

April 16th, 2013 at 8:17pm CST by Alex Lee

With three NBA games scheduled, the Clippers are the only Pacific division team in action tonight. Let's round up links from the division here:

Just because the Lakers aren't thinking about amnestying Kobe Bryant just yet, doesn't mean everyone else isn't. An ESPN Los Angeles poll shows that most do not think the Lakers should use the amnesty provision on their longtime star. Amin Elhassan of ESPN is in favor of cutting ties with Bryant, writing that the team could conceivably re-sign him if he can return to full strength. On the other hand, Arash Markazi sees Bryant helping the Lakers next season and thinks the franchise's image would take a hit should they release him.
Markazi follows up on Twitter, clarifying that the Lakers can only use their amnesty provision on Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Blake or Metta World Peace, adding that he believes the team will use it on either Blake or World Peace. Markazi also tweets that for a player to be eligible for the amnesty provision, he must have been with the team that amnesties him since July 1st, 2011, as Luke Adams noted in his amnesty refresher this afternoon.
In an all-access interview with Bleacher Report's Jimmy Spencer, Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins insists that he is not interested in a change of scenery. "No, I am loyal to this organization," Cousins said. "The biggest reward to me would be, at the end of the day, hearing them say, 'He turned this around. He stuck with it through thick and thin and he made it happen.'" While the story comes with a disclaimer that Cousins granted the interview with an agenda in mind, there are plenty of worthwhile quotes that make it worth a read.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Nash, Gasol, Patterson

March 9th, 2013 at 9:34am CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Pacific Division on Saturday morning:

Tom Ziller of SBNation.com discusses the importance of David Stern's implication that the Maloofs have no leverage in the sale of the Kings to the Seattle or Sacramento groups.
Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Steve Nash is growing increasingly comfortable in his new role on the Lakers.
Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that Pau Gasol is still at least two weeks away from returning to action.
Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com writes that the Kings traded for Patrick Patterson in part because of his close relationship with DeMarcus Cousins dating back to their time as teammates at the University of Kentucky.
Wendell Maxey of RidiculousUpside.com chronicles Malcolm Thomas' journey from Israel to the D-League to the Warriors.

Odds & Ends: Bulls, Warriors, Kings, Gordon

February 21st, 2013 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Just to make sure they don't slip through the cracks, here are a few odds and ends from overnight and this morning, as the trade deadline creeps closer….

Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com expects the Bulls to stand pat at the deadline, since Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton aren't drawing a ton of interest.
The Warriors are shopping Jeremy Tyler, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, while Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group says (via Twitter) Charles Jenkins is also being shopped. I would guess Golden State has discussed both players with Sacramento, as the Warriors attempt to get below the tax line.
Spears also tweets that Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins have been given the impression by the Kings that they won't be moved today.
If they don't move Eric Gordon today, the Hornets will likely revisit trade talks this summer, writes John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Teams with the draft rights to players currently overseas could find those guys to be valuable trade chips, and A.J. Mitnick of SheridanHoops.com profiles the top five assets stashed away in Europe.
The Thomas Robinson trade between the Rockets and Kings came together in about 48 hours, having been initially hatched on Monday, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Southwest Links: White, Spurs, Prince, Mavs

February 13th, 2013 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As every Southwest team except the Grizzlies prepares for action tonight, let's check in on the latest notes out of the division….

Royce White finally made his D-League debut for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and showed flashes of the potential that makes Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle think White could help the Rockets this season.
Don't expect the Spurs to make a serious play for Josh Smith, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Tayshaun Prince appeared on the Chris Vernon Show on ESPN Memphis, and discussed how shocked he was when he heard he'd been traded to the Grizzlies, as well as the adjustment he's making to a new team and city (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News explains why Mavericks fans shouldn't be holding their breath waiting for the club to make a blockbuster trade.
The Mavs would love to get their hands on DeMarcus Cousins, who they think would greatly benefit from the team's culture, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. But with the Kings unlikely to move Cousins and the third-year big man not due for restricted free agency until the summer of 2014, Dallas may not have much of an opportunity to land him.

Stein’s Latest: Gasol, Celtics, Smith, Jazz

February 2nd, 2013 at 8:53am CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's Marc Stein has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, featuring updates on several prominent players whose names have been featured in trade rumors ahead of the February 21 deadline. Here are the highlights of Stein's report:

Stein doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol before the deadline, although the Raptors are making a push to acquire him with a package built around Andrea Bargnani.
Although the Clippers have shown no indication of wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe, a swap of the third-year guard to the Celtics for Paul Pierce could make the most sense for both sides, Stein writes.
Celtics GM Danny Ainge recognizes that Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't have the value that would likely make it worth trading then, so he may instead look to move Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, or Jeff Green to get the team under the luxury tax threshold.
The Hawks have been gauging trade interest in Josh Smith, Stein reports. Although they are very open to moving the forward, there is hesitance because other teams don't want to risk him walking in free agency and Atlanta doesn't want to take on long-term salary.
Executives around the league don't expect the Jazz to trade Al Jefferson, saying they will either move Paul Millsap instead or stand pat.
Given their ownership situation, the Kings will likely not make any moves before the deadline. There has been interest in Tyreke Evans, although DeMarcus Cousins remains untouchable.
The Trail Blazers are not looking to make any moves that will help them in the short term, preferring to preserve their flexibility.
Teams expect the Magic to trade J.J. Redick, but executives tell Stein that GM Rob Hennigan is asking for young talent or draft picks for the veteran sharpshooter.

Ford On Cousins, Gortat, Gay, Celtics

January 16th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Damian Lillard is the odds on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award right now, but there's still plenty of games to be played, said Chad Ford of ESPN.com in today's chat. The Hornets' Anthony Davis is back in action and very much in the picutre while Andre Drummond can't be ruled out either. Here's more from Ford..

There is a lot of interest around the league in DeMarcus Cousins, but from what Ford can gather, no GMs have had any success in making progress with the Kings on trade talks so far. The Kings appear to want to hold onto him, though plenty can change in the next five weeks.
Even though the Suns are eager to make a move, Ford sees Marcin Gortat remaining with Phoenix beyond the February 21st trade deadline. It's more likely that the club parlays their draft picks into pieces that are ready to contribute more immediately.
Ford believes that Rudy Gay is as good as gone in Memphis. The new ownership group is looking for ways to tighten their belt and moving the forward is the quickest way to accomplish that. Recent comments by coach Lionel Hollins against analytics would appear to be a shot at recent hire John Hollinger and, by extension, the thinking of the Memphis front office.
The Suns, Wizards, Magic, and Mavericks could all be trading away their lottery picks this summer as they'll look to win sooner rather than later. However, this isn't a terribly strong draft and it's far from a seller's market.
Danny Ainge is downplaying the trade talk surrounding the Celtics but Ford doesn't seem to be buying it. If there's a great deal out there for Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, or anyone else, Ford expects him to pull the trigger.

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Nash, Clark, Kings

January 14th, 2013 at 10:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers and Warriors may be the only two Pacific Division squads in line for a playoff spot, but in terms of dramatics, they're getting upstaged by their closest neighbors. The Kings could be on their way out of town, while the way the Lakers have struggled this season is probably the most surprising development of the season. Here's more on the Pacific's most intriguing off-court teams.

In his report on a halt to trade talks involving Rudy Gay, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio also notes that the Kings never went further than exploratory discussions with other teams about DeMarcus Cousins, who'll likely remain in Sacramento while the future of the team's ownership is in limbo.
Steve Nash, who says his team's goal is merely to make the playoffs, pointed to the Lakers' coaching change as a stumbling block this season in his comments on the "Max & Marcellus" show on ESPNLA 710 Radio (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). "It's been a 180 degree difference from Coach (Mike) Brown's offense to Coach (Mike) D'Antoni's. … Big reason we've struggled," Nash said.
Earl Clark, a throw-in as part of the Dwight Howard trade, has suddenly become a contributor for the Lakers, and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News chronicles his journey to NBA relevance.
With an eye on the Kings' potential move, Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty takes a look back at the NBA relocation committee's rejection of the Wolves' plan to move to New Orleans in 1994.
Former Kings first-round pick Omri Casspi is among those who don't want to see the team leave Sacramento, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.