Over the course of the next few months, we’re going to hear an awful lot of trade speculation regarding DeMarcus Cousins. Different trade scenarios will surface, and all the while, the Kings will likely hold the public position that they “have no interest in trading Cousins” right up until they actually do it.
The latest team to have interest in acquiring Cousins? The Washington Wizards. Dan Fegan, recently hired by Cousins, is also the agent for Wizards point guard and Cousins’ former Kentucky teammate John Wall. It makes sense that the two would want to play together again and that Fegan would want to stick them in the same city. There’s nothing agents love more than having multiple clients on the same team. Here’s Sam Amick of USA Today on the Wizards as a landing spot:“While Cousins has insisted publicly that he does not want to be traded, his story has been different privately. The recent hiring of influential agent Dan Fegan has led to the widespread assumption within the organization that Cousins will eventually demand a trade. Specifically, two people close to the situation who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation said a trade to the Washington Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and Fegan because Cousins could rejoin former Kentucky teammate and fellow Fegan client, point guard John Wall. The Wizards, who are known to have expressed recent interest in Cousins, have been told by the Kings that they have no intention of trading him
The Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics have been among the teams that have shown interest in the past on gambling with the player who could become the most dominant big man in the game. But will Petrie still be at the helm by the time the Feb. 21 trading deadline arrives? Will he be allowed to make franchise-altering moves such as these if his time in Sacramento is nearing an end?”
Sam Amick | USA Today
I’m not so sure I would call a trade to the 4-24 Washington Wizards “ideal”. Cousins could stand to be in a winning environment with a proven track record for player development, and that ain’t Washington. However, a fresh start anywhere would likely help, and Wall’s presence is apparently enough to make Washington a desired landing spot for Fegan and Cousins.
The question comes down to what the Wizards are willing to offer. Nene has voiced his frustration in Washington, so perhaps a swap of brooding big men (and a bigger contract like John Salmons included to even it out) would interest both teams.
But all that comes back to Amick’s point about Sacramento’s uncertain future as a whole. Will Petrie be enabled to make a move? Either way, the phones are going to keep ringing. Dan Fegan will be on line one, and opposing teams will be on lines two, three and four. This isn’t going to go away until Cousins is on a plane out of Sacramento.
