The DeMarcus Cousins blockbuster trade to the Pelicans shook the entire NBA to its core. We could think of nobody better than our own Tom Ziller, a lifelong Kings fan, to make sense of it. Go read his column on the deal if you haven’t already.
Among the topics discussed:
- Why do the trade now, of all times?
- How the Kings’ awful decisions in years past will continue to affect them for years to come, especially now that they no longer have Cousins.
- Just how terrible is the return the Kings received? How laughable is it that they see Buddy Hield as a franchise cornerstone?
- Cousins is clearly a difficult player to build around. Should the Kings have made a move sooner? Is there something to the idea that this is addition by subtraction? (There isn’t.)
- How good will the Pelicans be, exactly? Tom is more optimistic. Mike (me) is more skeptical.
- Can the Pelicans keep Cousins after his free-agent year in 2018?
- Is this the worst superstar trade of all time? What other deals come to mind?
- How will this blockbuster affect the rest of the trade market?
Hang in there, Tom.