DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings were supposed to enter the 2016-17 NBA season on divergent timelines.
Cousins was the 26-year-old superstar—equal parts savior and enfant terrible—gearing up for 2018 free agency. The Kings were the inept franchise—10 straight lottery finishes deep—refusing to trade a player they've failed and been failed by.
The dissolution of this ostensibly toxic partnership was deemed inevitable. Sacramento would eventually trade Cousins, lest he leave for nothing in less than two years time.
But the Kings waited. And waited. They retained Cousins and continued their pursuit of the Western Conference's No. 8 seed.
Then, on Dec. 14, a new collective bargaining agreement was struck between the league and its players. Included in it, a Designated Player Exception that allows Sacramento to offer Cousins a monster five-year extension before he reaches free agency.
Word soon came from ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the Kings would pitch Cousins on this five-year pact worth in excess of $200 million over the summer, when he first b ...
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Article written by Dan Favale
How DeMarcus Cousins and Sacramento Kings Can Renew Their Vows and Make It Work
January 11th, 2017 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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