DeMarcus Cousins to Cleveland?

USATSI

With one more day before the start of the NBA season it is time to start rounding up predictions. Today's prediction is DeMarcus Cousins being traded to Cleveland at some point this season. 

It is no secret that DeMarcus Cousins is not happy in Sacramento. Since Cousins has arrived in Sacramento the Kings have yet to make the playoffs. In fact the teams best season since 2010 was last year and they only won 33 games. The organization does not seem to know what they are doing. Their free agent signings are questionable and their draft selections have been real headscratchers. They have yet to draft good talent despite being in the lottery for a decade now. The only good draft selection they have made is DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins has been waiting patiently for a long time for the franchise to surround him with better talent, but they have failed to do so. As a result Cousins name has been in trade rumors for years now. But could this be the year Cousins finally gets to leave the Kings?

The Sacramento Kings have the upper hand with Cousins right now. Cousins signed a 4 year maximum extension back in 2013. This means Cousins is under contract until the summer of 2018. It would be hard for Cousins to force his way out because the Kings know that he will be back next season if they do not think they can receive fair value in return.

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But here is where things get interesting. Kevin Love has been in trade talks since the Cavaliers lost the championship in 2015. Since then the rumors have died down, but there are always going to be trade speculation around Love. Since Love arrived in Cleveland his numbers have fallen off a cliff. A guy that would average 20 points and 12 rebounds a night is averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds a night. This is because he is not the focal point of Cleveland's offense.

Now here is why a Kevin Love for DeMarcus Cousins swap would be perfect for both teams. DeMarcus Cousins would finally be out of Sacramento and be with a championship contender. Also the Cavaliers do not have a true center of their roster beside Chris Anderson. This would fill one of the Cavaliers needs while making them stronger.

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For Sacramento they would be getting back the best talent they can get for Cousins. Also while bringing back talent they would bring in a guy who is under contract until 2019. This would give them more time to assemble something around their new star player in Kevin Love. Also Kevin Love's production would see a huge increase by being on a team that runs their offense through him. If the Kings were smart they could give the team a whole new identity by trading away Rudy Gay and others for draft picks or role players to surround Love with.

It may be painful for Sacramento, but the clock is counting down. If something does not change immediately this year Cousins will be looking to get out as soon as possible. This may be their best bet to bring in a good return for a player they know they are going to lose at some point. It will jump start a process that at this point seems inevitable. Time will only tell if this trade will become a reality this season.