DeMarcus Cousins trade to Washington Wizards would be 'ideal', according to report

Up until now, the idea of enigmatic Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins in a Washington Wizards uniform was fueled mostly by a hypothetical reunion with college teammate John Wall. There were no reports that either party seemed especially interested in playing together. The ideas mostly came from us.

Until now, it appears. USA Today's Sam Amick, the most plugged-in resource for anything Sacramento Kings, reports that Camp Cousins might be itching to come to D.C.

Specifically, two people close to the situation who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation said a trade to the Washington Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and Fegan because Cousins could rejoin former Kentucky teammate and fellow [Dan] Fegan client, point guard John Wall. The Wizards, who are known to have expressed recent interest in Cousins, have been told by the Kings that they have no intention of trading him.

That's a bit vague, but there are a lot of tea leaves that can be read. Cousins' agent switch to Fegan is especially significant, as is the deteriorating relationship between Cousins and Kings coach Keith Smart. Smart had long been one of Cousins' backers within the organization; now, after Cousins' blowup cost him two games, Cousins' only major supporters appear to be the Maloofs. Sure, those folks matter, and nothing seems imminent, but this is the kind of report that you file away for later. What happens if Cousins simply refuses to play in Sacramento? What if he tells them he's not signing a long-term extension even if the franchise relocates? It opens up a lot of avenues.

Of course, whether acquiring Cousins is a good idea is an open question. Certainly, he has the talent, but save for a brief stretch late last season, he hasn't really put it all together. Forget his personality for a second: why is he such a bad interior defender? Why is his transition defense so poor? Why is he taking 4.5 shots per game from 16-23 feet when he's shooting 30 percent on those looks? There's clearly a lot of talent, but it is very uncultivated.

I'm sympathetic to acquiring Cousins simply because the current situation with this roster is so bad, of course. I just think any sort of trade requires a lot of other moves to make this work. Build around Wall, Cousins and Bradley Beal, and ditch the other young players to acquire some strong veterans that can keep Cousins in line. Don't build like the Kings and surround Cousins with other young players trying to find their way.

(Sidenote: wow, the situation in Sacramento is messed up).