Demarcus Cousins close to signing extension!

[KF10]

I really liked what cousins had to say in his press conference...can't wait to see this team in action!

Me too!

Here is the link if anyone wants to see it:

http://www.nba.com/kings/kings-livestre ... DMCPresser

[City of Trees]

Welp, he has the keys, I just hope he doesn't drive us off a bridge.

This gave me a good laugh. Too bad I am in class during a lecture.


I think/HOPE Cousins will have a different outlook on his basketball career now and show some maturity.

[Brapman]

I'm surprised with the postings in this thread - thought there'd be a lot more posts going down the team cancer road. I'm a Pistons fan, and am not coming here to troll you guys, but I've been on record for a long time with players all through the league, including on my team, that it's NEVER EVER a smart idea to bring in bad teammates or guys with bad/horrible behavioral issues.

Coming out of college, the word was that Cousins was one of the worst attitudes scouts had ever seen. I don't get that young men typically grow out of or mature from attitudes like that. And I've seen no evidence so far that Cousins is the exception.

I wouldn't have extended him. Instead, I'd have cut bait and traded him for as much value as you could have. Your GM's problem if I'm right about this is that if he fails to mature, then when you try to trade him in a couple sesaons, teams will have that much more evidence that he's broken. I don't see how, then, you'd get nearly the value you could have had you traded him this year.

[ICMTM]

I'm surprised with the postings in this thread - thought there'd be a lot more posts going down the team cancer road. I'm a Pistons fan, and am not coming here to troll you guys, but I've been on record for a long time with players all through the league, including on my team, that it's NEVER EVER a smart idea to bring in bad teammates or guys with bad/horrible behavioral issues.

Coming out of college, the word was that Cousins was one of the worst attitudes scouts had ever seen. I don't get that young men typically grow out of or mature from attitudes like that. And I've seen no evidence so far that Cousins is the exception.

I wouldn't have extended him. Instead, I'd have cut bait and traded him for as much value as you could have. Your GM's problem if I'm right about this is that if he fails to mature, then when you try to trade him in a couple sesaons, teams will have that much more evidence that he's broken. I don't see how, then, you'd get nearly the value you could have had you traded him this year.

We have a small board but a lot of people have been around for a while so when we're talking to each other we kind of know where we stand. For instance it makes not sense for me to say the signing is a mistake because here is how I feel about it:

A. Let him walk, and we get nothing
B. Trade him now on his rookie scale...for little to nothing. Salaries have to match (most teams above cap)
C. He doesn't work out...we trade him for another situation. Since his salary is higher we have more trade options.
D. It works...he actually grows up.

When you consider everything to do you don't have a choice but to sign him to a max deal. It makes the most business sense. His issues are also the reverse of most athletes in that they are on the court issues. While I question the ability for DMC to turn it around we have had some serious idiots turn their careers around here. Webber most notably, but Ron Artest, Bonzi Wells, Doug Christie, Jimmy Jackson...at one point (mid 2K's) I felt we were the league's rehab center. Cousins has been bashed by some media members here as well, but it's still a place where you can reinvent yourself. If he wants to do it, he can.

[ICMTM]

I digress...that is my positive spin. Even with that I leaned towards letting him go IF AND ONLY IF we could get close to equal value for him.

[Snuppe]

I think the signing is the best thing that has happen to Sac the last 3 years and especially with Shaq coming in. IMO Cousins will grow now to be a leader (as he has already shown at the first days of Camp) and either way, his contract is tradable.

[SacTown Kings]

I'm surprised with the postings in this thread - thought there'd be a lot more posts going down the team cancer road. I'm a Pistons fan, and am not coming here to troll you guys, but I've been on record for a long time with players all through the league, including on my team, that it's NEVER EVER a smart idea to bring in bad teammates or guys with bad/horrible behavioral issues.

Coming out of college, the word was that Cousins was one of the worst attitudes scouts had ever seen. I don't get that young men typically grow out of or mature from attitudes like that. And I've seen no evidence so far that Cousins is the exception.

I wouldn't have extended him. Instead, I'd have cut bait and traded him for as much value as you could have. Your GM's problem if I'm right about this is that if he fails to mature, then when you try to trade him in a couple sesaons, teams will have that much more evidence that he's broken. I don't see how, then, you'd get nearly the value you could have had you traded him this year.

Glad your not our GM. You don't just cut bait with a guy that has the best set of talents of any big man in the league. And especially if your Sacramento. Talent doesn't come easy around these parts.

[Brapman]

It IS a very difficult decision - and it IS hard to part with excellent talent. But, in this league, you're pretty _____'d if you sign a player to a max contract and he's not a franchise player. I don't doubt his physical talent. I do doubt his IQ on the court and his EQ on and off the court -- either of which is enough to turn him into an unacceptable risk to give a max contract to.

I'm glad he's not the Pistons problem. If he were, I'd be praying for us to get something for him. I think you guys could have parlayed him into a first round pick - maybe two. Perhaps not super-premium lotto picks, but without him you guys would be in great position to tank this year into a great selection in a great draft, and you'd have had his contract turn instead into a lot of cap room.

Now, if he plays pretty well, you hurt your draft slotting and your salary cap situation is greatly compromised.

But, you're right to say that if he does grow up and becomes a top player, guys with his talent don't grow on trees. He sure could become a top 5 center in this league. I happen to believe that won't happen for reasons I've stated. My perception is that not many guys with the level of issues he has displayed, transform their lives much, if at all.

[KF10]

The perception about Cousins is mutually shared by many people outside Sacramento and Kentucky. You may think he is a total s__t person outside of basketball but that's far from the truth. Dude is really interactive with fans and is well-liked throughout those two communities. He regularly holds camps for free for underprivileged kids every year and is involved within Sacramento in general. He recently donated $1 million to charity and to KJ's organization. This guy isn't some "Adrien Broner" type of person irl.

[SacTown Kings]

There's not a center in the league with the combination of skills that DMC has. He's already top 5. If he matures the way everyone wants him to and picks up on the defensive end he's number 1. You just don't give up an opportunity like that to tank or get draft picks. That's just dumb that's the whole reason you get draft picks to get someone like DMC. So many people on realgm want to hate on him and see him fail I love it. If shaq thinks DMC can be the best big man in the league who am I to argue.

[ICMTM]

It IS a very difficult decision - and it IS hard to part with excellent talent. But, in this league, you're pretty _____'d if you sign a player to a max contract and he's not a franchise player. I don't doubt his physical talent. I do doubt his IQ on the court and his EQ on and off the court -- either of which is enough to turn him into an unacceptable risk to give a max contract to.

I'm glad he's not the Pistons problem. If he were, I'd be praying for us to get something for him. I think you guys could have parlayed him into a first round pick - maybe two. Perhaps not super-premium lotto picks, but without him you guys would be in great position to tank this year into a great selection in a great draft, and you'd have had his contract turn instead into a lot of cap room.

Now, if he plays pretty well, you hurt your draft slotting and your salary cap situation is greatly compromised.

But, you're right to say that if he does grow up and becomes a top player, guys with his talent don't grow on trees. He sure could become a top 5 center in this league. I happen to believe that won't happen for reasons I've stated. My perception is that not many guys with the level of issues he has displayed, transform their lives much, if at all.

We throw around "MAX" deal like it means one thing. The max deal DMC got is a little more than half of what CP3 got. It also puts him paid on par with his production relative to his position (IE Brook Lopez, Kevin Love etc). His dollar amount isn't in question. It's simply can he be a good teammate and part of some structure? I have no opinion or prediction on it. I can see it going either way. What I do see here is a system where people are asking DMC to be the guy, and providing resources for that to happen. Previous to that I think DMC's rep defined him a little, and I think it was pinned on him by other coaches. We'll see obviously. The other thing is once guys realize they can't just take over and win (like HS and for some college) they buy into the team game. I think DMC is around that age where the light bulb goes off.

[ICMTM]

There's not a center in the league with the combination of skills that DMC has. He's already top 5. If he matures the way everyone wants him to and picks up on the defensive end he's number 1. You just don't give up an opportunity like that to tank or get draft picks. That's just dumb that's the whole reason you get draft picks to get someone like DMC. So many people on realgm want to hate on him and see him fail I love it. If shaq thinks DMC can be the best big man in the league who am I to argue.

People can feel something is/isn't going to work and express that. Talking about Cousins without discussing his behavior is not rational either. It's a package deal. I feel the Kings finally have a decent coach/front office in place and that will influence how things are run on the court going forward.

[Wolfay]

So Favors agrees to a 4 year/$49 million extension with the Jazz. Personally it makes me feel better about Cousins' max extension, since I think he's a lot more productive AND has a lot more potential.

[Snuppe]

Me too Wolfay. But that's not a bad deal for Favors to be honest but I believe that the Cousins' max is more about letting him be a leader! Which I believe he has really shown just in the preseason - hopes he continues the development in the regular season.