How The Phoenix Suns Can Get DeMarcus Cousins
The Verdict
Boogie isn’t perfect. After the Kings fired the only coach he ever trusted in Mike Malone, some of Cousins’ less stellar attributes started to shine through again, including his arguing with officials, blowups on the sidelines and lazy defense at times. In the wrong situation, Boogie is not afraid to let his anger show:
But at this point, almost any team in the NBA would be better than a snake-in-the-grass coach trying to oust him from a Western Conference bottom feeder. Why not the Suns, who have the assets to make Sacramento a tempting offer?
Forget the Eric Bledsoe-New York Knicks rumors for a second. Instead of taking the long path back to relevance with a draft pick that will take years to develop and may never turn into a franchise player, why not make that Godfather offer that few other teams could make and jumpstart the next rebuilding process?
There are potential stalwarts to this plan, of course. For starters, all these Bledsoe trade rumors could be nothing more than conjecture. Perhaps McDonough and the Suns are content with keeping their No. 13 pick and letting the current, young core grow together.
For another thing, maybe it’s possible that another team puts more on the table than Phoenix is willing to offer. The Lakers can never be ruled out, even if Woj says the No. 2 pick isn’t enough for Sacramento. The Boston Celtics have more draft picks to offer than anyone. The Denver Nuggets may try to get on the action, using Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried — two former players of George Karl’s — to convince the Kings.
A deal for Lawson and Faried would be way worse than what Phoenix could offer, but Karl might be swayed by the opportunity to coach players he’s comfortable with and Boogie probably wouldn’t mind playing for the only coach he’s ever trusted in Mike Malone.
But in terms of veteran pieces, young assets and future draft picks, no one has a more balanced plate to put on the table than the Phoenix Suns. This could be the moment for acquiring a disgruntled superstar that McDonough has been talking about this whole time. It’d be a shame for the Suns to not explore the possibility of acquiring the next face of the franchise — even one as misunderstood as DeMarcus Cousins.
Next: Should The Suns Trade Eric Bledsoe For A Draft Pick?