Kings GM says DeMarcus Cousins not on trade block

While there has been a lot of buzz about it, don’t expect to see a DeMarcus Cousins trade anytime soon.

Why not? There are a few reasons.

Kings GM Geoff Petrie says the key one is Cousins is not on the trade block. He was very direct about it when speaking to David Aldridge writing for NBA.com.

“You can put that one to rest,” Petrie said. “He’s not going anywhere. You can lay that to rest. Some of that stuff lives in its own reality.”

That’s what you expect him to say, because if he says Cousins is on the market he loses some leverage.

But there are reasons to believe Cousins may not be moved, at least any time soon. That starts with owners Joe and Gavin Maloof — they have been Cousins biggest backers in the organization, it was they that reinstated Cousins after Petrie suspended him for a profanity-laced argument with coach Keith Smart.

The owners love the guy as a franchise centerpiece, you think they are just going to sign off on a trade for him?

About the only way that happens is if a deal is too good to refuse. Something echoed by a note from another GM, via Sam Amico at Fox Sports Ohio.

The Kings have denied they’re trying to trade center DeMarcus Cousins, a true talent as both a player and a trouble spot. But multiple sources who claim to have taken their calls said that’s not true, that Cousins is actually on the market. The asking price, however, “is way too high right now,” said one opposing GM.

The calls going around (and the leaks) are no doubt being fueled in part by Cousins’ new agent Dan Fegan, a guy known for getting his players out of situations they don’t want to be in. (Remember Fegan admitted it was his side that did a lot of leaking in the Dwight Howard situation.)

While the Kings front office and some players may be frustrated with Cousins, that is very different than trading a top-flight young player for pennies on the dollar. They are not dumping him, any offer to seriously grab their attention will have to be huge and include the kind of key young pieces and picks that can help a team rebuild.

And even then it may not happen.