ESPN Interview: Cousins Neither Desires Nor Expects to Be Traded
- Thread starter Bricklayer
- Start date
That's cool, and everything, but that doesn't change anything. He's been in this league long enough to know that this doesn't go away until he re-signs.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Which he cannot contracturally do until this offseason.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Personally none of this comes as a surprise. Cousins has never said or done anything to make me believe he wants to move to another team. However, while I think that's a plus if your Vlade and your trying to decide the future of the team, it shouldn't affect your decision about trading Cousins. If you think your can make a trade that will make the team better, then you do it. I'm not sure that trade exists, but never say never. In his case, it would have to actually be an offer I can't refuse.
It's rumored that the new CBA will be out and approved soon, maybe by the Dec 15th date, and if I'm reading the current CBA correctly, and I'm sure the Capt will correct me if I'm wrong, teams can only give a player a 7.5% increase over the last year of his current contract when signing him to an extension. However, if said player waits and becomes a free agent, he can be offered whatever the Max salary is. Thus, most players that would command the max, wait! From what I've read, the new CBA will change that, allowing teams to max out players with an extension, which will help teams retain their players by avoiding free agency.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
I believe the Kings can sign him to an extension right now if both sides are willing. However, it wouldn't be in Cousins financial interest to do so under the current CBA.
Padrino
All-Star
ya know, part of me is frustrated that demarcus continues to trot out this line. i've been among cousins' biggest fans since he was drafted by the kings in 2010. i don't want to see him traded, though i do think the kings have likely blown their chance to build a contender around him.
but more than any of that, i just want to slap the guy upside the head every time he says he wants to stay in sacramento. even as a lifelong kings fan, i have to ask myself, "why?!" i truly admire his loyalty, and it's so refreshing to see an nba superstar who doesn't chase the glitz or the endorsements or the superteams. but that loyalty is worthy of a franchise much better managed than this one. it's like the old adage: if you love something, set it free. i want so badly to see demarcus succeed on a winning team, and i just don't think it's going to happen with the kings.
man, i'd love to be a fly on the wall during conversations between big cuz and his agent:
demarcus, let me get you the hell out of sacramento. you're destined for bigger and better things. it's been six years, and this franchise has screwed the pooch at almost every turn. it's time to move on. i can get you to boston. i can get you to los angeles. i can get you to denver, where you can be reunited with mike malone. come on, it'll just take one phone call.
nah, i'm good. i'm happy with this team. i'm in a great place.
/agent pounds head against wall/
but more than any of that, i just want to slap the guy upside the head every time he says he wants to stay in sacramento. even as a lifelong kings fan, i have to ask myself, "why?!" i truly admire his loyalty, and it's so refreshing to see an nba superstar who doesn't chase the glitz or the endorsements or the superteams. but that loyalty is worthy of a franchise much better managed than this one. it's like the old adage: if you love something, set it free. i want so badly to see demarcus succeed on a winning team, and i just don't think it's going to happen with the kings.
man, i'd love to be a fly on the wall during conversations between big cuz and his agent:
demarcus, let me get you the hell out of sacramento. you're destined for bigger and better things. it's been six years, and this franchise has screwed the pooch at almost every turn. it's time to move on. i can get you to boston. i can get you to los angeles. i can get you to denver, where you can be reunited with mike malone. come on, it'll just take one phone call.
nah, i'm good. i'm happy with this team. i'm in a great place.
/agent pounds head against wall/
Peter_Gibbons
Starter
This is how Cousins feels now. But IF the loses start to pile on and his agent starts to talk to him about opportunities, his will to stay with us will be tested.
Kings fan forum..... The franchise centerpiece just reinforces what he's said all along about wanting to stay and people still don't trust it and try to find fault with it. Screw that.....this FO and coaching staff will get Sac back to the playoffs and with Boogie leading the charge.
What do you mean, "If"?
Who in this thread is saying that they don't trust it?
Who said it was in this thread? Cousins has been saying this for a long time. People still don't or won't believe it.
Sure, but how is that any different from any other superstar in this era? Every superstar who doesn't play in LA or Miami and hasn't won multiple championships is going to have to put up with this, especially if they haven't actually made the playoffs, no matter who the fanbase is. That's not going to change, any time soon.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
There is a difference in how Cousins is handling this than in virtually any other superstar.
Cousins is practically shouting I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE! for anybody willing to listen. No coy CWebb games, or random compliments about what a grea thing it would be to play for x.
Cousins is a family man. We are his family. Even as hard as some have worked to push him away, still blood is blood.
ParniValjak
All-Star
This is no surprise at all Cousins has always said this, his story has never changed in his time here. Not once!
Whether Cousins stays or goes will be entirely up to the Kings and personally I just can't see Vlade trading Cousins away. My money would be on Cousins signing extension with the Kings in the off-season.
One thing that we should have learnt during the whole relocation saga it is that National media have no slightest idea about the Kings. Hell even the local media have no idea. The witch of Sacramento has her own agenda that she will continue to push but it won't get her far. All this talk originates from other parties across the league who want to get Cousins out of Sacramento. You know the likes of Boston, Dallas, Miami, Lakers etc. I don't believe that it will work.
My money is on Cousins signing an extension with the Kings. Now if we could somehow pull off a trade to get Bledsoe and/or Wall to partner with him just to put it beyond doubt.
It is one of the bigger sporting tragedies that franchise is so inept, so amateurish that it can't stop tripping over itself to build a contender around arguably the most loyal superstar in professional sport. Finally, we found and are keeping the coach that Cousins respects and gets along with. Maybe we are finally starting to pick up where we left off when we boneheadedly fired Malone all those years ago.
Whether Cousins stays or goes will be entirely up to the Kings and personally I just can't see Vlade trading Cousins away. My money would be on Cousins signing extension with the Kings in the off-season.
One thing that we should have learnt during the whole relocation saga it is that National media have no slightest idea about the Kings. Hell even the local media have no idea. The witch of Sacramento has her own agenda that she will continue to push but it won't get her far. All this talk originates from other parties across the league who want to get Cousins out of Sacramento. You know the likes of Boston, Dallas, Miami, Lakers etc. I don't believe that it will work.
My money is on Cousins signing an extension with the Kings. Now if we could somehow pull off a trade to get Bledsoe and/or Wall to partner with him just to put it beyond doubt.
It is one of the bigger sporting tragedies that franchise is so inept, so amateurish that it can't stop tripping over itself to build a contender around arguably the most loyal superstar in professional sport. Finally, we found and are keeping the coach that Cousins respects and gets along with. Maybe we are finally starting to pick up where we left off when we boneheadedly fired Malone all those years ago.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
This is always a positive thing to hear, even if we hear the same thing year in and year out. So much for God's plan, huh? All that said, I'll rest a bit easier when I read that he has signed a contract extension. He can love Sacramento all he wants, in the end, it's all up to Vlade and company to get this man some help or for his own sake, let him go.
Sac.1989
Starter
Ladies and gentlemen I present, demarcus boogie cousins, the best big man in the league and proudly ours.
It's beyond belief but I truely believe that in the past 10 years two things have gone right beyond us staying home in sac:
1 - drafting DMC
2 - him seeing something in this mess to actually hitch his wagon to
He's not a guy to go back on his word. This isn't a verbal agreement at all but boogie is old school loyal. It would take us losing traction and vlade wanting to rebuild for us not to keep him.
I'm glad after Karl and this summer that management and him are talking and on the same page. We owe it to demarcus and ourselves to get us back to winning.
That HOF jerseys going to be in the rafters one day
It's beyond belief but I truely believe that in the past 10 years two things have gone right beyond us staying home in sac:
1 - drafting DMC
2 - him seeing something in this mess to actually hitch his wagon to
He's not a guy to go back on his word. This isn't a verbal agreement at all but boogie is old school loyal. It would take us losing traction and vlade wanting to rebuild for us not to keep him.
I'm glad after Karl and this summer that management and him are talking and on the same page. We owe it to demarcus and ourselves to get us back to winning.
That HOF jerseys going to be in the rafters one day
Blob
Starter
Well...
(1) It's in his financial best interest to stay in SAC.
(2) Loyalty goes both ways. The Kings have been loyal to him despite his chronic transgressions with refs and coaches and tepid leadership
(3) He has unfinished business here. He's underachieved over 5-6 seasons with meddling efficiency and sporadic defensive effort.
The picture you paint is incomplete. It's not one where fans should bow to the Temple of Boogie. I say this recognizing the strides he's has made with his scoring and passing efficiency (56% TS and 1.3 asst to TO) relative to career marks (53% and 0.8). But let's not be naive. Boogie owes us as much we owe him. We've invested in him emotionally. We are due a return on that investment in the form of wins, playoffs, and a player who evolves from immature tempest to mature force. He's showing signs this can occur but its work in progress.
Blob
Starter
Except Boogie has NOT been exemplary as "superstar" until this season. His efficiency has been mediocre, his defensive effort sporadic, and leadership non-existent. To imply we are lucky he is willing to stick around reeks of inferiority complex as city and fan base. Boogie has been given every chance to be the face of this city and franchise, and so far I would say he has mostly squandered it with weight issues, injury issues, maturity issues and recently nightclub issues. The guy is GREAT talent, and recently I would add a GREAT player, but it has been long and bumpy ride with a lot of lows and too few highs.
Henkel
Starter
I just don't buy, no matter what he or his tats say, that Cousins is sticking around on a team that can't put together 40 wins. Is there any precedent for it? I can't think of another top 10 player choosing this kind of losing and dysfunction. If he wants to extend over the summer, great. If not you have to rely on common sense and history.
This team has been great at getting zero value for talent. Can't repeat that on this scale. Although we seem hell bent on repeating history with Rudy, so who knows how deeply incompetent the front office truly is. If Cousins walks they'll have found a new bottom.
This team has been great at getting zero value for talent. Can't repeat that on this scale. Although we seem hell bent on repeating history with Rudy, so who knows how deeply incompetent the front office truly is. If Cousins walks they'll have found a new bottom.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Pathetic.
Agreed
Blob
Starter
Exact response I would expect from a Matt Barnes fan.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
and even more pathetic. Also hijacking the thread.
So no matter how much he improves you're going to continue to spout your same tired rhetoric? At some point, it got old. Now, you're the one who's pathetic.
Sac.1989
Starter
This is a league where seemingly more and more players are giving up millions to win. Emotionally invested or not we have not put a winning team around demarcus, that thread on past teammates says it all. The ridiculous amount of inept coaches says it all.
There is no reason demarcus should realistically sign with us given our past record. The money will hardly be a factor. Whilst the system is built to benefit us, the modern day NBA player makes enough. No one stays home for a bit more dough - Aldridge, KD for example.
Chronic transgressions ? you make him out to be a complete nut. Hes shown year on year growth personally and professionally. He was a big part of the gold medal national team. He is the best big in the league, no GMs looking at efficiency stats when vlades phones ringing off the hook.
Unfinished business ? The modern NBA player gets measured on championships. The only unfinished business he has is winning and to date we have shown preiodically that we can't as a franchise support that. The grass is really much greener elsewhere but for whatever reason demarcus wants in here and i am dam greatful for that and he want to be central to our revival.
Last edited:
Dime Dropper
All-Star
I'm going to say something that may offend some.
Being honest: The Kings do not deserve Boogie. [Please note I did not say Sacramento do not deserve him] It boggles my mind that big Cuz, after everything, still wants to be here. The fact that he has some people (read: idiots) wanting to trade him, is insane.
I hope Cuz re-signs. He's old-school. He's loyal, and he doesn't care what anybody thinks. BTW, if he played 20 or 30 years ago, nobody would question his "antics." Boogie is emotional but basketball is not about who is the calmest. Anybody who thinks it is, needs to find a different hobby.
Big Cuz is an example to be followed in the community, and anybody who thinks his emotions on the court trump his contributions off of it, need to get some perspective.
Long live Boogie in Sactown.
Being honest: The Kings do not deserve Boogie. [Please note I did not say Sacramento do not deserve him] It boggles my mind that big Cuz, after everything, still wants to be here. The fact that he has some people (read: idiots) wanting to trade him, is insane.
I hope Cuz re-signs. He's old-school. He's loyal, and he doesn't care what anybody thinks. BTW, if he played 20 or 30 years ago, nobody would question his "antics." Boogie is emotional but basketball is not about who is the calmest. Anybody who thinks it is, needs to find a different hobby.
Big Cuz is an example to be followed in the community, and anybody who thinks his emotions on the court trump his contributions off of it, need to get some perspective.
Long live Boogie in Sactown.
Similar threads
- Yahoo! Sports - NBA -
- Kings News Links
