Sacramento Kings executive Vlade Divac has insisted that star center DeMarcus Cousins is “untradeable” after speculation suggested that he could be available.
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Coach George Karl had fuelled the fire earlier in the season by insisting that he has never coached a player that he would deem “untradeable”. Naturally, that in turn led to speculation that Cousins also fell into that category and he could move on if a suitable deal was made.
With the Boston Celtics amongst a number of teams likely to be interested in acquiring his services, Divac made clear the intentions of the organisation and their future undoubtedly involves their All-Star big man.
“Well, I think, you know, Coach kind of step it up further than he should and, of course, everybody has their opinion but right now, if we’re talking about today, yeah, DeMarcus is untradeable. He’s a guy who we’re going to try to build around and see where he’s going to take us,” he told SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Cousins should be considered a franchise cornerstone, he’s that good. However, if Karl was speaking in the literal sense and wouldn’t be apposed to exploring the market, then it would surely take a lot to convince them to part company.
The 25-year-old averaged 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this past regular season, all up on his career averages, and that came even though he missed a significant period of time due to illness.
The talented big man has three years remaining on his contract, but then there is also the fact that he may not fit into Karl’s overall system and style of play.
Sacramento fans would surely be irate if a trade deal was ever made, as ‘Boogie’ has established himself as a fans favourite during his time in the NBA.
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