What The Kings Want
In the report, Woj reveals that Karl and other members of the front office have informally discussed trades centered around Cousins with other teams, but that no one has been comfortable proceeding until Ranadive gives his blessing, which may be a problem since he is Boogie’s biggest advocate.
At this point Vivek could pick up Ice and behead George Karl in Eddard Stark style and I still wouldn't believe they aren't shopping Boogie.
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) June 23, 2015
The Kings are also looking to trade Rudy Gay, which seems more likely since Sacramento officials don’t believe they’ll find enough value in a Cousins trade. But here’s the kicker, per Woj, that should put the Suns into the conversation:
"“The Los Angeles Lakers have had significant interest with Cousins, but their No. 2 overall pick isn’t as appealing to the Kings as finding a deal that includes established, veteran players. Ranadive doesn’t want to rebuild with a move into a new arena on the horizon, and Karl is chasing Don Nelson‘s all-time NBA career victories record. Karl’s interest isn’t in cultivating long-term assets, but rather compiling as many victories as possible in the near future.”"
We could dive into how supremely stupid this whole conversation is, from the fact that the Kings are even considering trading their only good asset to the possibility that Ranadive will choose a head coach — even one with as many wins as Karl — over his franchise player.
But from the Suns’ perspective, Sacramento’s interest in established players who can help the team win now is intriguing.
What's the problem? Kings are trying to win right now when they can't. So instead of hitting the reset button, they'll try to do it halfway.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 23, 2015
Next: Boogie's Value