National Basketball Association

Phoenix Suns: Pros And Cons Of Trading For DeMarcus Cousins

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:56 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Gerald Bourguet/FanSided via Hoops Habit

Oct 18, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

After a report of DeMarcus Cousins trade talks emerged, it’s time to take a look at the pros and cons of a potential deal for the Phoenix Suns.

At 15-33, the Phoenix Suns currently sport the worst record in the Western Conference and the second-worst record in the entire league. They’re somehow only 6.5 games out of a playoff spot, but as the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline approaches, it’s become abundantly clear the Suns are about to miss the playoffs for a franchise-record seventh straight year.

And yet, try as the front office might to commit to its progressing youth movement, all it takes is one trade rumor to change everyone’s perspective on what the franchise should do to rebuild.

Case in point: On Tuesday, Arizona Sports John Gambadoro reported that the Suns had discussed a DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Sacramento Kings, which revolved around swingman T.J. Warren, backup center Alex Len, Phoenix’s 2017 first round draft pick and “possibly more.”

In the time since, Suns fans were absolutely psyched about the possibility of adding Boogie, and perhaps rightfully so. Cousins is perhaps the best individual center in the NBA, and for a franchise that hasn’t had a transcendent star since Steve Nash, it’s only natural to lose patience and hope for a game-changer to turn the team’s fortunes around.

However, multiple reports have emerged to shoot down the rumors since. According to Real GM’s Keith Smith, those trade talks happened before Christmas and no deal is imminent, while The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones shot down the rumors altogether.

It makes sense from Sacramento’s perspective, especially since just a few weeks back a contract extension worth more than $200 million was reportedly imminent. More than likely, this was just a smoke screen put out there by the Suns to hide their true intentions for the trade deadline.

But as is the case with every report leading up to Feb. 23, we have to take all of this with a grain of salt. For the sake of being thorough, and because the pros and cons of changing course away from Phoenix’s youth movement is worth examining anyway, here are five pros and five cons of a potential DeMarcus Cousins trade for the Suns.

Dec 26, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 102-100 at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Pro: Boogie Is An Undeniable Superstar….

DeMarcus Cousins is probably a top-10 player in the NBA, and he may very well be its best center. He’s unstoppable in the paint because of his size, strength and physicality, he’s improved on the defensive end and this season, he’s managed to add a three-point shot to his arsenal.

Averaging a career-high 28.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, Boogie ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring, 12th in rebounding and 19th in blocks. He also ranks second among all centers in steals AND assists. He’s elite by pretty much every statistical measure.

According to Basketball-Reference, Cousins is on pace to join David Robinson (1993-94) as the only players in NBA history to average those numbers for an entire season, only he’s doing it while adding in 1.8 three-pointers per game on 37.3 percent shooting from deep. So yeah, he’s pretty damn elite.

Though his teams have never seen the playoffs, or even won more than 33 games in a single season, that can hardly be blamed on Cousins in the wake of his franchise’s systemic dysfunction. His best teammates over the years have been Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo, and the Kings have whiffed on too many chances to add young talent through the draft to count.

In Phoenix, Cousins would finally get his chance to play with teammates who are actually talented, representing his first shot at making the playoffs. A stretch-5 with such a passion for the game is rarely found, and as the Suns continue to try and strike gold in the NBA Draft, it’s worth noting that Boogie is exactly the kind of player you hope a drafted rookie will eventually become.

Jan 6, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. The Clippers defeated the Kings 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Con:…Who Has Also Earned His Bad Reputation

However, as good as Cousins is, the Suns shouldn’t just drop everything and dive into a possible bidding war without bearing in mind the many drawbacks of a potential deal. For starters, there’s his notorious temper and reputation as a head case — a reputation he’s more than earned — to consider.

At this point, it’s hard to remember all of Cousins’ run-ins with officials, teammates, coaches and reporters, but here are a couple of notable incidents off the top of our heads:

And all that is without including his 105 career technical fouls in six and a half seasons, including 15 technicals this season.

No one should ever question his devotion to the game, the city of Sacramento or winning. In a better environment, perhaps Cousins would be viewed very differently. Maybe he wouldn’t constantly antagonize reporters, berate officials or draw fines and suspensions from the league.

But we can’t ignore that Cousins has always had a bit of a temper, and if the “I’d rather have a guy who cares” argument sounds familiar, it’s because people said something similar about Markieff Morris‘ destructive fire.

Cousins is quite clearly on a different plane from Morris talent-wise, but he’s very rarely shown the qualities of a true leader outside of his production on the stat sheet. He’s playing for his sixth head coach in seven years, and his most successful team won 33 games.

That’s not all on him, and Sacramento’s dysfunction bears plenty of the weight, but DeMarcus Cousins would have plenty to prove if he were traded to the Suns. Would adding him really transform Phoenix into a winning team again? For a franchise that spent the last three years purging its locker room of “bad chemistry,” trading for Boogie would not come without risk.

Nov 9, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (left), forward T.J. Warren (center) and guard Eric Bledsoe sit on the bench against the Detroit Pistons at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pro: The Reported Offer Wouldn’t Be Giving Up Too Much

According to Gambo, Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker weren’t included in the Cousins trade talks. If the Suns could really get away with dealing just Warren, Len and their 2017 first-rounder for Boogie, that’s a deal too good to pass up.

Warren could still develop into a talented scorer, but he hasn’t been the same since his mysterious “minor head injury.” Len has played well when he’s been giving starter’s minutes, but his destiny in this league still might be backup duty. Plus, he hits restricted free agency this summer.

As for that potentially valuable first-rounder, the draft can be a crapshoot and there’s no guarantee the Suns would end up with the pick they’re slated to get. Unless they’re planning on trading Bledsoe to prepare for a point guard-heavy draft, ending up with a high pick could result in more positional overlap.

For the Kings, their need for a point guard makes sense. Point guards Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are at the top of most draft boards, and Phoenix’s first-rounder this year is currently slated as the No. 2 overall pick.

Warren and Len might thrive in bigger roles in Sacramento, and they’re only 23 years old. But if that’s all Phoenix had to give up to get a deal done, that would be McDonough’s greatest highway robbery yet.

Nov 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dragan Bender (left), center Alex Len (center) and forward Marquese Chriss sit on the bench against the Denver Nuggets at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 118-114. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Con: The Reported Offer Is DEFINITELY Not Enough

There’s a reason the report also mentioned “and possibly more.” As dumb as the Kings have been over the years, there’s no way they’re THAT dumb.

Len, Warren and a 2017 first-rounder — even a potentially valuable one — is nowhere near enough value for a star of Cousins’ caliber. More than likely, it’d take a Godfather kind of offer like this to get a deal done:

That’s right folks, if the Kings felt even the slightest twinge of regret in letting a moldable ball of clay like Marquese Chriss go when they traded away the eighth overall pick, they could ask for him back in this deal without batting an eye.

Or, they could target a potential seven-foot Swiss Army knife in Dragan Bender, the youngest player in the NBA. In addition to one of the Suns’ promising 19-year-old rooks, the Kings could also add Phoenix to throw an additional future first-rounder into the pile.

That’s the kind of offer it’d take to pry Boogie from Sacramento, because believe it or not, the Kings front office is able to talk to other teams. As fast as McDonough moves, other teams will come knocking if there’s even the slightest inkling that Cousins is available, at which point it becomes a bidding war.

Without an offer like one of the two above, the Suns don’t stand a chance. Brandon Knight isn’t getting it done, and if the Kings were smart, they’d try to demand Eric Bledsoe instead of just Len, Warren and a pick.

If the Suns could get Boogie for that low price tag in the report, they should pull the trigger. But there’s no way in hell that’s happening, and for a rebuilding franchise like Phoenix, that kind of hefty price should give any organization pause.

Sep 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough speaks to the media during media day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pro: This Is What You Stockpile Assets For

Like the Boston Celtics, the Phoenix Suns have spent their last few years stockpiling future assets and young talent so that when the time for a blockbuster trade came, they’d be ready with a Godfather offer.

If a superstar like Boogie truly is available, what’s the point of gathering all those assets if you’re not going to put them to good use?

In terms of desirable trade assets, here’s what Phoenix has to work with:

That’s quite an extensive list, and though the whole point of trading for Cousins would be to pair him with a promising core of Bledsoe and sophomore Devin Booker, the rest of the assets on this list would be fair game.

You want Brandon Knight to man the point guard spot for the long-term? Take him! You regret trading away the No. 8 overall pick that became Marquese Chriss? Have him back! You like the potential of Bender or Len at the 5 despite already having like 17 centers? Here ya go!

The Suns have plenty of assets, and though they wouldn’t be the top bidders in a DeMarcus Cousins sweepstakes, they could put together a pretty sweet deal.

The whole point of the NBA Draft is to find a game-changing superstar, and if the Suns traded for Boogie, they could bypass that whole tricky business. Cousins is only 26, he’s gotten better every season, and he seems like the exact kind of superstar general manager Ryan McDonough has been waiting for with his treasure trove of future assets.

Dec 28, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12, left) blocks a shot attempt by Phoenix Suns small forward TJ Warren (12) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Con: The Return To Building From The Middle

That being said, there’s an alternative to packaging all those assets into a trade package for a disgruntled superstar: Actually, you know, using them.

By now, everyone knows the draft can be a crapshoot. Alex Len looks nothing like a fifth overall pick, while Devin Booker, the 13th overall selection in his draft, looks more like a top-three pick. But has everyone forgotten the reason this franchise has been a failure since its last playoff appearance in 2010?

At the time, the front office tried desperately to retool and put a winning team around Steve Nash during his twilight years despite losing Amar’e Stoudemire. It was easy to defend, because Nash was still playing strong, he was a winner, he deserved a title after coming so close so many times, and he was always so loyal to Phoenix.

But when they shipped him away in 2012, the team wandered aimlessly under the Lance Blanks regime. McDonough was brought in and he quickly shipped off assets to position the team for a flat-out tank job, but then a funny thing happened: The 2013-14 Phoenix Suns were actually good.

That Goran Dragic-led team was a ton of fun, but it ultimately doomed the Suns for the next four years without a playoff appearance to show for it. They won 48 games, but finished ninth in the West and missed out on what most figured would be a top-three pick. The top three selections in that year’s draft? Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid.

Ever since the Suns were too good for their own, McDonough has tried to build from the middle. There was the Isaiah Thomas sign-and-trade that was a home run deal in and of itself, until Dragic got sick of playing small forward and said he wanted out.

The Suns did well to get two future first-rounders out of the Dragic deal, but failed miserably in the Brandon Knight deal, panic-trading Isaiah Thomas (now an All-Star and legitimate MVP candidate) to Boston and for some reason, sending a valuable protected pick from the Lakers to Philly.

There was the Tyson Chandler signing to lure LaMarcus Aldridge, which ultimately failed. To clear space for Aldridge, McDonough dumped Marcus Morris to Detroit for peanuts, which in turn angered his twin brother Markieff Morris and led to another season of drama.

To sum up, the Suns have failed each and every time they’ve tried to assemble a playoff-caliber roster rather than commit to “tanking” and rebuilding through the draft. They’re better positioned to do that than ever, but trading for Cousins would be abandoning the youth movement.

Trading for Cousins would be Phoenix’s most successful “build from the middle” attempt yet, since he’s an actual superstar. It takes that kind of player to win a championship in this league. But it’s also true basketball is still a team game, and not only have Cousins’ teams struggled to win, but the Suns would be sacrificing quite a few players with upside to get a deal done.

Yes, Boogie is only 26. But as we’ve already covered, trading for him would deal a considerable blow to the team’s youth, including at least 23-year-old T.J. Warren, 23-year-old Alex Len, a potential top-three rookie in this year’s draft.

That deal could also include one of Phoenix’s 19-year-old rookies and another first-round selection — plus whatever else the Suns would trade away in subsequent deals to assemble a contender around Cousins. Because the moment they sign him, the clock is ticking on his free agency, and unlike Sacramento, a city Cousins loves, he owes Phoenix nothing.

The Suns could offer him way more money than any other free agency suitor, but the front office would have to show him the team is heading in the right direction first. Are all those sacrifices to rapidly assemble a contender worth taking a chance on so many moldable young players?

Nov 23, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) smiles against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Golden 1 Center. The Kings beat the Thunder 116-101. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Pro: Why The Suns Could Re-Sign Him

If the Kings somehow decided they weren’t interested in signing Cousins to a contract worth more than $200 million as a Designated Player Extension this summer, the Suns would be happy to make it rain in 2018. If they traded for him, they’d have the power to offer him more money than any potential suitor in free agency too.

Why would Boogie consider re-upping with Phoenix in 2018 despite only being there for a year and a couple months? There are two main reasons.

For starters, if the Suns avoid including Bledsoe in a potential Cousins deal (which would be the whole point of making a Cousins deal), they could reunite two Kentucky teammates who are still very good friends. You can be guaranteed that would play a factor in getting Boogie to remain in the Valley of the Sun for the foreseeable future.

Oh, and did we mention that he’d make millions if he re-signed in Phoenix in 2018?

The new CBA gives incumbent teams a major advantage in re-signing their free agents, and though the Suns would need to show they’re moving in the right direction before Cousins signed the papers, that kind of money is hard to turn down no matter the team situation.

Jan 18, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Golden 1 Center. The Pacers defeated the Kings 106-100. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Con: Why The Suns Might Struggle To Re-Sign Him

That being said, the money advantage is no guarantee Boogie would re-sign in Phoenix after a trade. He’d be going from one dysfunctional franchise to another that’s largely seen as dysfunctional, only the Suns wouldn’t have the advantage of Cousins getting to know their city and organization over seven years like the Kings have.

Boogie loves Sacramento and has said so many times, and with that Designated Player Extension, he’d make more than $200 million re-signing with the Kings. The Suns don’t get to offer him that same deal if he’s traded, meaning they’d be missing out on an extra $50 million of negotiation leverage.

Would Boogie develop the same kind of love for Phoenix that he has for Sacramento? In the year and change leading up to his free agency, would the Suns be enough to assemble a contender and prove they’re worthy of his services for the long haul?

As much as Phoenix would have a major fiscal advantage over other suitors, we saw this past summer that money isn’t everything when Kevin Durant turned down the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.

The new CBA will help KD make that money up this summer, but the point still stands: These superstars are extremely competitive, and after leaving a non-playoff team in the Kings, Boogie might not be as patient when he could join a possible contender in free agency.

There would undoubtedly be suitors all over the place if Cousins reaches his 2018 free agency, and if that happens, the Suns would run the risk of surrendering a massive trade package only to lose him after a year of his services — especially if they missed the playoffs in 2017-18.

The sway of Bledsoe and the financial incentives would give the Suns the inside track to keeping Cousins long-term, but the risk of losing him and wasting all those assets for nothing shouldn’t be swept under the rug either.

Nov 30, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (right) celebrates with teammate Eric Bledsoe in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Hawks 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pro: The Return To The Playoffs

At this point, there’s probably too much ground to make up in the Western Conference playoff picture if the Suns traded for Boogie. They’re 6.5 games behind the eighth seed right now, so unless they traded for him, like, this week, it’s probably not happening.

Assuming the 2017 NBA Playoffs are out, the pressure would be on for the Suns to make the cut in 2018. With a potential core of Bledsoe, Booker and Cousins, it feels like they’d be a safe bet to return to the postseason with a full season together — especially since it only took a .500 record to make the top eight last year, and will probably be the same story this season.

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Booker is an emerging talent, Bledsoe is playing the best basketball of his career, and Cousins is singlehandedly carrying a sorry team to the playoff hunt as it is. The Suns would have to sacrifice depth and youth to get a deal done, but most likely, they’d still have enough for a 2018 playoff push.

Even in the worst-case scenario where Phoenix sends Warren, Len, one of Bender/Chriss and two first round picks, that’d still leave them with Bledsoe, Booker, P.J. Tucker, Boogie, Tyson Chandler, the other one of Bender/Chriss, Ulis, Knight and Jared Dudley.

There are clear flaws on that roster, including perimeter shooting and defense, but McDonough would be able to trade more pieces to address those needs. For the NBA’s fourth-winningest franchise all-time, ending a seven-year playoff drought would be a welcome sight for the fans. From there, the future would finally be looking up.

Dec 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1), forward TJ Warren (12) and guard Eric Bledsoe (2) against the Philadelphia 76ers at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the 76ers 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Con: The Alternative Could Be Better

The Suns have never won an NBA championship, nor have they earned the No. 1 overall pick. If the goal is to eventually get this franchise over the hump and win a title, a change of approach could be required.

Of the last 35 NBA champions, the only teams whose best players was acquired via trade or free agency were the 2012-13 Miami Heat (LeBron James), the 2004 Detroit Pistons (Chauncey Billups), the 2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal) and the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers (Moses Malone).

But even the Lakers’ three-peat needed Kobe Bryant. The 76ers had Julius Erving first, the Pistons drafted Tayshaun Prince, the Heat had Dwyane Wade, and the only other possible exception, the 2008 Boston Celtics, drafted Paul Pierce before they could add Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

The point is this: Almost every champion in modern NBA history depended on drafting a superstar. The Suns might have that with Devin Booker, but why take a chance when a top-three pick is inbound? More importantly, would a core of Cousins, Bledsoe and Booker be able to contend for a title in the next 3-4 years while they’re all still in their prime? Would they attract free agents?

If you believe the answer to those questions is “yes,” then a trade for Boogie makes sense. But McDonough hasn’t exactly proven himself as an effective trade-maker with so many deals backfiring, and his free agency track record is even worse.

The clock would be ticking as soon as the Suns traded for Cousins, not only because of his free agency, but because he’s only got 3-5 years left where he could be the best player on a potential contender. The same goes for Bledsoe.

This line of thought also assumes that Booker vastly improves on the defensive end, McDonough addresses the bench and other areas of need, and that the remaining Suns rookie (Bender or Chriss) matures rapidly. That’s a tall order, and the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz don’t appear to be going anywhere in the West.

The alternative — letting a young core develop into a title contender of the future — might be a more preferable option.

It’s true that not every draft pick is a winner, and at some point, McDonough would have to find a way to pay all these young players. But it’s not just about losing Warren, Len and a top-three rookie this year; it’s about turning your back on a possible core of Booker, Bender, Chriss, Warren, Len, Ulis and the one or two rookie selections in 2017 and 2018 who’d be near the top of their draft class.

A core of Booker, Chriss, Bender, Warren, Len, Ulis and a top-five rookie in the next two drafts could grow together, especially if the Suns acquire more draft picks by shipping off some of their current, older assets (Bledsoe, Chandler, Tucker and/or Knight). Oh, and they also have two potentially valuable first-rounders coming in 2018 and 2021 via Miami.

Developing young players is not a surefire process, nor would it guarantee the Suns their first championship. But Phoenix’s title window would be much smaller if it traded for DeMarcus Cousins compared to fostering this youth movement that could include two high lottery picks over the next two seasons. Remember, McDonough’s greatest strength as a GM thus far has arguably been his drafting.

Boogie is a tremendous player who’d help Phoenix return to the playoffs, but after seven years of impatience and building through the middle to get back there, the goal should be positioning this franchise for its first NBA championship. Risky as it might be, the best way to do that might require patience to give this young core the time to develop into something special.

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