DeMarcus Cousins is elite, but he’s not a perfect fit for Celtics

Getty Images/Ezra Shaw

By Adam Kaufman @AdamMKaufman

June 9, 2015

5 minutes to read

COMMENTARY

Kings star DeMarcus Cousins has long been on the trade block, depending on what you want to believe.

There have been reports of his unhappiness in Sacramento, perhaps the direct result of playing for five head coaches in five years for a dysfunctional and ineptly-run franchise that still hasn’t won 30 games in a season since the remarkably talented All-Star center arrived in the NBA in 2010. His maturity and effort have often been called into question dating back to his time at Kentucky, which has no doubt played a role in his limited team success.

As Cousins has improved — his season-averages jumped from 14.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 1.0 steals a game as a rookie to last year’s second-team All-NBA-recognized totals of 24.1 points, 12.7 boards, 3.6 dimes, 1.7 stuffs, and 1.5 thefts — the Kings really haven’t. In his first season under Paul Westphal, Sacramento won 24 games. In his latest for Mike Malone, Tyrone Corbin, and George Karl (continuity, right?), the club amassed 29 victories and a 13th-place finish in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. As a result, the Kings landed the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming June 25 draft.

When Karl was preparing to join the Kings for the final one-third of last season, there were rumblings he didn’t believe Cousins fit on his roster and, equally, the center wasn’t in favor of the veteran coach’s impending hire. Shortly after Karl took over, he called his relationship with Cousins “a process.’’

When the season ended, Karl — in his own way — said he’s open to trading his soon-to-be superstar if that’s what it takes to end the team’s nine-season-long playoff drought.

“I’ve had some great players and I’ve never had one player that I have said is untradeable,’’ the coach — who has dealt the likes of Carmelo Antony, Shawn Kemp, and Ray Allen — told CSN Bay Area. “You always got to be ready for the possibility of a great trade that could come your way.’’

Shortly thereafter, ESPN’s Marc Stein speculated the Celtics would pursue the 24-year-old.

Let’s pretend for a moment Kings vice president Vlade Divac didn’t respond to his coach’s comments by saying, “if we’re talking about today, yeah, DeMarcus is untradeable,’’ and assume Danny Ainge will target the stud big man who’s yet to even reach his prime, and that Sacramento will be listening to offers.

Is that necessarily the right move?

Cousins has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $65 million deal. He’s worth the money, especially with the new TV dollars set to make every owner’s wallet better resemble George Costanza’s next summer. As noted, Cousins is still a kid with, barring injury, at least six elite years ahead of him and a seemingly limitless ceiling. He’s huge and plays a position that, these days, is virtually impossible to fill with a top-tier player unless you luck out in the draft or can easily attract free agents. Soon, he might be the best in the game in that role. Surrounded by the right players and in the Eastern Conference, the game-changer could instantly make several franchises a title contender.

The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan, who has forgotten more about the NBA than most will ever know, recently said he’d personally pick up Cousins at the airport if Ainge could land the 6-foot-11 stud in a trade.

But, as Ryan and others have acknowledged, this conversation over the Kings potentially dealing a premier player such as Cousins is only happening because of his fiery, sometimes selfish, and easily frustrated personality on the court and years worth of evidence he can be difficult to coach.

Brad Stevens just got rid of one of those guys and he had a first-hand look at this one back on New Year’s Eve when Cousins tossed rookie Marcus Smart to the parquet when he took exception to the rookie’s box-out during a 33-point deficit.

[fragment number=0]

Cousins has been assessed a league-high 73 technical fouls and nine ejections since he entered the league, including that ugly capper to 2014. Skill aside, does Stevens need a historically unstable addition like this, especially when acquiring Cousins would cost Ainge a bevy of the assets he’s worked so hard to stockpile?

No, Cousins is not Rajon Rondo. Talent-wise, they aren’t in the same stratosphere at this stage of their careers and even Rondo in his prime probably wasn’t worth close to what Cousins could bring to the equation. Both, however, are enigmatic and their play has been largely determined by their moods and not the other way around.

That in mind, how would Cousins react if one or two thoughtless acts resulted in a strong finger-wagging from the talking heads who have irritated so many Boston athletes in the past. This city, for better or worse, is a heck of a lot different than Sacramento when it comes to media coverage.

Most would agree Cousins is worth the gamble and potential headaches for a coach who, after a long series of moves, finally got his Celtics to believe in him, his system, and each other, while overachieving by at least 10 wins last season in the estimation of most pundits. A college-like chemistry was the difference, and Cousins has been known in his brief pro career to interrupt it. If winning is his top priority — an arguable concept for his current team — perhaps he’d fit in seamlessly in a more positive environment.

We all know how desperately the Celtics need a rim-protector, a genuine shot-blocking rebounder, and both Ainge and Stevens have prioritized the need for additional scorers. Cousins is both, but he comes with warts. Forced into a decision, Ainge would surely decide the embattled Kings star is worth any risks or baggage he brings. He wouldn’t be wrong. With Cousins, ultimately, talent, size, and youth should win out.

But, if this fantasyland scenario ever comes to fruition, it’s not a no-brainer. It’s one that would require careful consideration, conversations with multiple people close to Cousins and his existing situation, and assurances the difference-making star has indeed matured. With the right pieces, Cousins could be part of a select group to lead a team to a championship. With the wrong attitude, he could set a franchise back for years.