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Milwaukee Bucks Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins Worth Trading For?

By Dan Larsen

Feb 26, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) falls on the court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Clippers won 117-107. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) falls on the court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Clippers won 117-107. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts to a call during the second quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts to a call during the second quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

Cousins’ Baggage

Though Cousins is a supremely skilled player, he also has some major baggage.

From a personality perspective, Cousins has never really fit in at Sacramento. He’s gone through numerous coaches, and, outside of Mike Malone, has never gotten along terribly well with any of them.

Cousins has a tendency to quit on the floor when things aren’t going his way. There are numerous clips of Cousins not giving any effort on offense or defense when he becomes frustrated, like this:

Cousins has also been among the league leaders in technical fouls, and has found himself involved in many confrontations with other players. The fact that there is a near 10 minute clip showing the different “incidents” he’s been involved in speaks volumes to the problems that Cousins has had staying focused on the court:

Though much of his frustration can be explained by being part of one of the league’s most dysfunctional teams, he’s shown throughout his career that he is hard to coach and get along with. There’s no guarantee if you get Cousins, that his attitude would necessarily be better. And, the fact that he’s not improved his attitude much since coming into the league is definitely a concern.

Mar 16, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

He’s also limited in what he can do on defense. He’s shown the ability to be a solid defender when he gives the effort. However, those instances are few and far between, making it extremely difficult to judge whether Cousins can be an impact player on defense on a nightly basis.

One final knock on Cousins is his inability to affect the Kings ability to win.

Despite being in the league for five years, Cousins has never been able to take the Kings to playoffs or to a winning record. Having bad teammates and coaching has certainly affected what Cousins can do on the floor. However, at the same time, Cousins hasn’t shown that he can do something with nothing.

Many other superstars, like Anthony Davis and LeBron James, were able to take their teams to the playoffs early in their careers despite being surrounded with sub-par talent. Cousins hasn’t done this. And, the fact that his teams have never really come close to making the playoffs in any year is why there is real reason to worry about whether Cousins can actually make a meaningful impact on an already talented team.

Next: What Would a Trade Look Like?

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