Nuggets Must Use Caution With DeMarcus Cousins

The Denver Nuggets will be a top landing spot for Sacramento Kings All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, but he might not be worth the risk.

Once again Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins is the focal point of NBA trade rumors. This isn’t something new for the veteran center — last offseason his name was circulated throughout the league around draft time, but in the end the Sacramento stood pat and Boogie remained.

In what was supposed to be a turnaround season for the struggling Kings, Cousins and Co. hovered around playoff contention for awhile before falling flat and missing the postseason for the 10th straight year. The dysfunctionality continued as Cousins and coach George Karl clashed repeatedly, ultimately ending in the abrupt departure of Karl following the regular season.

The Kings are now searching for their ninth coach since 2006-07, the most in the league in that span.

Whereas Cousins has always remained off-limits in terms of trade acquisitions in the past, this summer it appears that has changed. From a report in the Sacramento Bee:

"A year ago, Cousins was untouchable. A year later, the sense within the organization is (Vlade) Divac is tempted by the prospect of pairing his center with his personally selected coach but that he has become increasingly frustrated by his center’s ongoing issues and, for the first time, is willing to test the market for the two-time All-Star."

The Nuggets haven’t been officially linked to trade rumors with Cousins yet, but they will undoubtedly be, due to the past relationship between Cousins and current Nuggets coach Michael Malone. In Cousins’ six seasons in the league, Malone was the only coach to even remotely connect with the oft-disgruntled center.

Cousins hasn’t forgotten his relationship with Malone, either. In a recent interview, he was asked what the outcome of this season would have been were Malone not fired the year before. Without hesitation Cousins responded:

"“We would have been a playoff team.”"

For Nuggets fans, these rumors are exciting — it’s not often that an elite player such as Cousins is linked to mid-market teams like Denver, which usually struggle to attract top talent. Cousins might be eye candy for every team in the league right now, but Denver must proceed with caution on this one.

Should Tim Connelly pick up the phone if Vlade Divac calls with an offer? Absolutely. Cousins is a top-10 player and has the nasty attitude on defense that has been severely lacking in Denver lately. And Connelly surely remembers the two games this season where Cousins burned the Nuggets for 37 and 39 points, respectively.

The current Nuggets roster is thought to be one missing piece away from taking the next step in the rebuilding process. The presence of DeMarcus Cousins could escalate that process significantly. If added to the lineup, the Nuggets would almost certainly be a shoo-in for the playoffs next year and would be poised to be a future powerhouse in the Western Conference.

Maybe a change in scenery is what he needs to elevate his game and turn him into a more professional player.

At the same time, this could all blow up in Denver’s face. Regardless of his relationship with Malone, Cousins is a huge liability and any team that takes him on will bear significant risk. The Nuggets have spent a lot of time and money in trying to re-brand the locker room culture, which just two seasons ago was the laughingstock of the league.

So far the efforts have worked, as a 180-degree turnaround took place this season. Cousins’ presence alone could jeopardize that improvement.

Additionally, there is the matter of what the Nuggets would have to give up in return. Cousins is owed nearly $17 million next season and Sacramento would surely demand several of the Nuggets’ young assets. At this point Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried are probably expendable, but there is absolutely no way the Kings pull the trigger if Nikola Jokic or Jusuf Nurkic is not included.

Gambling on Cousins with one of these promising big men might not be worth it.

Cousins is a game-changer and could make the Nuggets relevant for years to come. He could also destroy what Connelly and the Nuggets have been working so hard for the past few seasons by interrupting the chemistry of what is thought to be a solid, young core.

For better or for worse the only way to find out the impact Cousins would have in Denver is for a deal to actually happen. As the trade rumors will intensify in coming weeks, though, the Nuggets must take caution.