Gambo: Suns, Kings have had trade discussions about DeMarcus Cousins

The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have had discussions about a trade involving All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

Gambadoro reports the discussions have centered around involving small forward T.J. Warren, center Alex Len, Phoenix’s first-round pick this year and possibly more. The Suns own all of their future picks and also own two future Miami Heat first-round picks from the Goran Dragic deal.

Sacramento has the need for a lead point guard and 2017’s draft class has point guards near the top of many mock drafts, including Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball.

Gambadoro said Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker would not be in the deal.

Bledsoe and Cousins were teammates at the University of Kentucky.

The 26-year-old Cousins is averaging a career-high 28.4 points per game along with 10.6 rebounds. Cousins and New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis are the only two players in the NBA to average at least 24 points and 10 rebounds per game in the last two seasons.

The Kings are reportedly ready to offer Cousins a contract extension that would be worth over $200 million, eliminating the possibility of him becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2018.

Sacramento has yet to make the playoffs with Cousins. The most success the team had behind Cousins in the early stages of the 2014-15 season under head coach Michael Malone, who was the one coach who seemed to understand Cousins and connect with him. Cousins led the team to a 9-6 start before getting sick for two weeks, with the team going 2-8 in that stretch. Before the last game Cousins would miss, Malone was surprisingly fired 24 games into the season. Cousins went on to say in the future that he believes the team would have made the playoffs had Malone not been let go.

Current Kings head coach Dave Joerger is Cousins’ sixth coach in seven years since being drafted fifth overall in 2010.

Known for his antics and temper, Cousins has 105 career technical fouls and 15 already this season, two away from tying his career-high. He has been suspended multiple times in the past, including one two-game suspension after confronting a color commentator of the opposing team.

Cousins has been the primary superstar involved in trade rumors, with many speculating that the continued losing in Sacramento combined with Cousins’ contract status would finally lead the Kings to pull the trigger.

Prior to the start of Tuesday’s action, the Kings are 19-29, three games back of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Empire of the Suns speculated as to what a possible Cousins deal could look like back in early January.

The NBA’s trade deadline is Feb. 23.

Would you want the #Suns to trade for DeMarcus Cousins?

— Burns and Gambo (@BurnsAndGambo) January 31, 2017

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