Loser: Sacramento Kings
We’re not entirely too sure the Kings know what they’re going here. The backstory behind Sacramento’s trade of DeMarcus Cousins reads like a Saturday Night Live skit. Did Vlade Divac pull the trigger quickly because he feared owner Vivek Ranadivé would back out at the last minute? Is this why the Kings received just one potential long-term starter and a draft pick in return?
Heck, Divac himself admitted that he had better trade offers on the table days before he pulled the trigger to move Cousins to the Pelicans. This, despite the fact there was still four days remaining before the trade deadline. If this weren’t enough, agents and players now have real fears that the Kings are an absolute mess, meaning no big-name player will want to join the team.
From an on-court standpoint none of this makes sense. Even with an opportunity to earn a playoff spot in the Western Conference, Sacramento decided to sell low on Cousins while he has a year remaining on his contract. It did so knowing full well that the Philadelphia 76ers have the right to swap their first-round pick with Sacramento.
Considering the Sixers themselves are on an upward trajectory and Sacramento just traded away its only viable star, it’s common logic to assume the Kings just traded down a few spots in the first round by moving Cousins. Again, why not wait until the summer?
Sure, Buddy Hield might end up being an All-Star one day. There’s also no guarantee that the pick Sacramento received from New Orleans won’t be in the lottery. But the Kings failed miserably here.
They ruined an opportunity for a playoff run in 2017, likely worsened their draft standing with Philly, caught the ire of agents around the NBA and traded away their only star player. In the process, Sacramento was made out to look like the Three Stooges with Ranadivé and Divac playing the role of Curley and Moe, respectively. Biggly sad.