DeMarcus Cousins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Notes: Afflalo, Cousins, Temple

December 18th, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Austin Kent

Arron Afflalo reportedly refused to enter a game between the Kings and Rockets last week, Sacramento radio personality Carmichael Dave tweeted earlier this evening. The KHTK radio host also noted that “league sources” said the 31-year-old journeyman was slow to enter the contest against the Jazz last weekend as well.

If Afflalo is in fact refusing to play, that would be one more source of drama in a Kings locker room already dealing with a recently published video of DeMarcus Cousins berating members of the media and with the charges Matt Barnes faces after an altercation at a New York night club.

Just this summer, Afflalo opted out of the final year of a deal with the Knicks in order to pursue free agency and ultimately the two-year, $25MM contract he signed with the Kings.

Last April, ESPN reported that a desire to be a starter was a motivating factor in Afflalo’s then-pending decision. This month, however, Afflalo has seen his play time drop precipitously and has been in and out of the starting lineup since late November. In five December games, the shooting guard has failed to clear more than 16 minutes and his production has dropped dramatically.

Worth noting, as trade speculation begins to swirl around the league and particularly with the Kings, is that the veteran’s contract is worth $12.5 annually but remains only partially guaranteed for $1.5MM in the second year.

That’s not all coming out of Sacramento…

Kings head coach Dave Joerger has called the aforementioned video published by the Sacramento Bee late last week “ridiculous” and went on to defend his franchise star. In the short clip, Cousins is seen involved in several hostile incidents with various members of the media. This isn’t the first time Joerger has been unhappy with the newspaper’s coverage, writes the Sacramento Bee’s own Jason Jones.
The Kings found a gem in free agent acquisition Garrett Temple, Jones writes in a separate article. The utility veteran, signed for three years and $24MM, has stepped up as a multipurpose perimeter threat averaging 10.4 points per game in December.
For all the latest Kings-related headlines, be sure to check out our Sacramento team page.

Cousins May Face Penalty For Media Run-Ins

December 16th, 2016 at 9:54pm CST by Austin Kent

Disciplinary action could be in the cards for DeMarcus Cousins, says Sam Amick of USA Today. Earlier today, the Sacramento Bee published a video of several hostile incidents between various media outlets and the Kings big man. According to Amick, the league is aware of the situation and a penalty could be coming in the next couple days.

The clip from the Bee shows Cousins confronting and shouting profanities at The Bee’s Andy Furillo after Furillo mentioned Cousins’ brother in a recent column. The video also shows a separate incident in which Cousins refuses to answer questions from reporters until Cowbell Kingdom managing editor Leo Beas leaves the locker room. The Kings have already issued a statement announcing that they’re looking into the matter, according to The Bee:

“We are committed to being open and transparent, and any hint of media censorship is unacceptable. There is an ongoing review into this matter, and we will take the appropriate steps immediately upon its conclusion.”

With or without a league-mandated penalty, the incident serves as the latest fuel for speculation that Cousins could be on his way out of Sacramento. The only problem? The run-ins with reporters will make teams even more wary of trading for the mercurial star. Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck described what he’s surmised from league executives in a tweet Thursday night: “Every GM I’ve asked recently has effectively said ‘Hell no’ to trading for Cousins.”

That goes along with one of the predominant themes in a recent article published at The Vertical by Chris Mannix.

“Trading Cousins is complicated; few players at his level are more polarizing. An example: Asked recently about Cousins, a high-ranking executive from a Western Conference team that had kicked the tires on acquiring him was adamant. He didn’t want him. ‘Everything about that guy is wrong,’ the exec told The Vertical. ‘I don’t want that attitude around my young players.'”

Still, Mannix explains, there may be a team or two willing to take on the baggage associated with the 26-year-old. Even in light of his recent involvement in an incident that unfolded outside of a New York City night club earlier this month.

Despite the uptick in drama surrounding the two-time All-Star, Cousins is averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game to go along with 10.9 rebounds.

DeMarcus Cousins Expects To Remain With Kings

December 9th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

DeMarcus Cousins has long been a polarizing figure around the league with his copious technical fouls, reported run-ins with coaches and reputation for being a difficult locker room presence. The big man certainly has had his troubles reigning in his emotions during his time in the league, but there is no denying that he is an immensely talented player who could become a superstar in the right environment.

There has been much speculation where Cousins will end up when he hits unrestricted free agency after the 2017/18 campaign, or if he will be dealt by Sacramento prior to hitting the open market. Regardless of the chatter surrounding him, Cousins doesn’t expect to be traded in the near future, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. “Unless you know something I don’t,” Cousins responded when asked if he thinks he’ll remain in a Kings uniform.

“I talk to management a lot,” Cousins told Stein. “We’re on the same page. I’m not worried about it. To know that you’re wanted throughout the league … I’d be worried if nobody wanted me. Then I’d have a situation on my hands. But I’m happy where I am. I’m happy with this team. I’m in a great place.”

Sources with knowledge of Sacramento’s thinking say that the Kings believe it’s still too early to seriously entertain the idea of trading Cousins, even with the clock ticking toward the final season of the four-year extension he inked back in 2013, Stein notes. Interested teams continue to contend that the Kings will be facing the prospect another sub-40 win season prior to this season’s trade deadline and the team will ultimately feel compelled to part with Cousins before he enters his contract year, since keeping him beyond February could make it extremely difficult to receive anything close to equal value for the player, the scribe adds.

The center, who is averaging 28.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season, places the blame on himself for the team’s lackluster record thus far in 2016/17, Stein writes. “I can’t speak for the next man,” Cousins said. “I’m speaking for myself. What can I do better on a nightly basis? I know I can be better every night.”

Cousins is aware of his reputation around the league, but believes that he is misunderstood, Stein relays. “I’m comfortable in my skin,” Cousins told Stein. “So comfortable. I know who I am as a person. I stand by that. I’m a very prideful man. I’m at that point where I could care less what the next person says. I think I get better every year as a player, as a person, as a son, a father, all of that. I think I grow every year. That’s part of life. Absolutely.”

Police Nearing Arrest Of Matt Barnes

December 9th, 2016 at 3:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NYPD are close to issuing an arrest warrant for Kings forward Matt Barnes for assaulting a woman during a brawl at a New York nightclub last weekend, Graham Rayman of the New York Daily News reports. Barnes and teammate DeMarcus Cousins have been under investigation for their role in the fight. Cousins will likely not be charged, a police source told Rayman.

“They’ve got enough to charge Barnes with an assault on a woman,” the source said. “It will probably be a misdemeanor assault on one of the females who was pushed or choked or sustained some sort of injury. She’s obviously cooperating.”

The police will continue to investigate members of Barnes’ entourage. “They looked at several people inside the club,” the source added. “There were some people struck by bottles but that didn’t seem to come from the players. There was a little bit of a mini free for all.”

On Thursday, two people—Jasmine Besiso, a 26-year-old woman, and her boyfriend, Myrone Powell, a 35-year-old man—filed a federal lawsuit against Barnes and Cousins, claiming they were assaulted by the NBA players. Besiso said she was sitting with her boyfriend at a table adjacent to Barnes’ and claims she witnessed Barnes get into an altercation with another woman. Besiso claims that Barnes then suddenly appeared near her and began choking her until she was unconscious.

Powell’s lawyer claims Cousins sucker-punched Powell in the head when he tried to intervene. Powell was knocked to the floor at which time other members of Barnes’ entourage hit and stomped him, his Lawyer claims. Rayman notes that Powell had two black eyes when he appeared at a press conference on Thursday.

There’s a TMZ video showing Barnes and Cousins gloating outside of the club that night. TMZ also published pictures of scratch marks to Barnes’ neck as well as additional photos of Barnes. The site published photos of his hands without any injuries that may suggest he didn’t punch anyone, Rayman notes. Cousins and Barnes have maintained that they were simply defending themselves; Barnes’ lawyers declined to comment today.

Latest On Matt Barnes, DeMarcus Cousins

December 9th, 2016 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins have been sued in federal court by two people who claim they were assaulted by the players this week in a New York nightclub, relays A.J. Perez of USA Today. The plaintiffs contend they suffered “severe personal injuries” and had to be treated at a hospital after the incident around 3 a.m. Monday. The monetary amount of the suit has not been released, but it has to be more than $75K to be heard in federal court.

Police have obtained the security footage, but haven’t been able to discern much because of low lighting in the club, reports Carmichael Dave of CBS Sacramento. No charges have been filed against either player. Witnesses have said that Barnes was knocked to the ground by several people on his way to a VIP area, and Cousins came to his defense. Both players were escorted out of the club.

There’s more news on the altercation and its fallout:

Trouble has followed Barnes throughout his NBA career, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, who adds that it was a mistake for the Kings to reacquire him and assign him “the unofficial duties of mentoring Cousins.” The columnist says it gives the organization a bad image at a time when it is trying to focus on the positive news of opening a new arena. She cites Barnes’ long list of NBA suspensions, along with domestic violence charges that were later dropped, a misdemeanor arrest for resisting, delaying or obstructing a police officer and last year’s fight with former Knicks coach Derek Fisher. Sacramento gave Barnes a two-year, $12MM deal to rejoin the team in July.
The Kings have hired an independent investigator to look into the incident, Voisin writes in the same piece. The NBA’s security staff is also conducting an investigation.
The fight may strengthen the argument of people who believe the Kings should trade Cousins, but it’s still a difficult decision, contends Chris Mannix of The Vertical. It’s hard to part with a player who is putting up 28.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per night, but the Kings have to decide how likely Cousins is to leave when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2018. His trade value will only decline after the February 23rd deadline passes, Mannix states.

DeMarcus Cousins Speaks Highly Of Mavs’ Organization

December 7th, 2016 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

DeMarcus Cousins believes his brother, Jaleel, who plays for the Mavericks‘ D-League affiliate, is in a great situation, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes.

“It’s the Mavericks. It’s one of the best franchises in the league,” Cousins said. “[Mark] Cuban’s a great guy. [Rick Carlisle‘s] a great guy. [Jaleel is] under some good people. I’m confident in the franchise and I’m confident in his abilities, as well. I think it’s a good situation for him.”

The Mavs have inquired about the availability of Cousins in the past and they are expected to be among the teams expressing interest in the big man at the trade deadline should the Kings fall out of the playoff race, Townsend notes. It remains unlikely that the Mavs can acquire Cousins in a trade since they don’t have a ton of attractive assets.

Dallas could always attempt to sign Cousins during the summer of 2018 when the center will be an unrestricted free agent. Townsend notes that Cousins’ agent, Dan Fegan, has a strong working relationship with the franchise.

Cousins told Townsend that he has respect for the Mavs and added that it was “flattering” to hear that the they were interested in him. Townsend was dubious of his response, questioning the big man since he had apparently said in the past that he “liked” Sacramento as well. Cousins then corrected the reporter and exclaimed, “I love Sacramento.”

Matt Barnes In New York City Nightclub Fight

December 5th, 2016 at 5:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings forward Matt Barnes talked to police today to give his side of an alleged choking incident in a New York City nightclub, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea.

In a story first reported by TMZ, Barnes is accused of choking a woman and assaulting two other people who tried to intervene. He offered an explanation in a statement today on his Instagram account, posting, “There’s always two sides to a story.. The side the media consistently tries to paint of me…. And what actually happened! Don’t believe everything you read.”

The confrontation took place early this morning at the Avenue Nightclub, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Barnes said he was slapped by a women he “accidentally butt bumped” as he headed toward the VIP section, then claims he was knocked to the floor by several men, one of whom tried to choke him.

TMZ reports that teammate DeMarcus Cousins came to Barnes’ defense. Cousins claims he doesn’t know what started the incident, but said someone tried to choke Barnes.

Barnes’ attorney, Alex Spiro, sent an email to the Sacramento Bee proclaiming his client’s innocence.

“We do not believe a crime was committed,” Spiro wrote. “We are cooperating with law enforcement and are hopeful no charges will be pressed.”

The 36-year-old Barnes has become a valuable team leader since rejoining the Kings this summer. He is averaging 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists through 20 games.

The team released a statement this afternoon, saying, “We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization – on and off the court. We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.”

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Kerr, Watson, Walton

December 4th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeMarcus Cousins is off to the best start of his career and may finally have the coach he has been wanting, writes Paul Flannery of SB Nation. None of that may stop trade rumors as the Kings continue to compile a losing record, just as they have through Cousins’ first six seasons. Many observers believe Cousins will head out of Sacramento when his contract expires in the summer of 2018, but unlike teammate Rudy Gay, Cousins hasn’t spoken publicly about leaving. One factor in keeping him may be new coach Dave Joerger, who has established a strong rapport with the big man. It has been a welcome change from George Karl, who had an ongoing feud with Cousins throughout his brief tenure. “He’s amazingly talented,” Joerger said. “We watched his talent get better every year from the other sideline. Like man, this guy just keeps getting better. And then when I got to coach him, I’m like, holy cow. He is incredibly talented. And then, the way that he has gone about his business and grown. Again from the other sideline to now here, he has really grown in the way he handles his business. Whether it’s practice, shootarounds, games, dealing with officials, handling adversity. Those two things have impressed me.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who sparked a controversy when he talked about trying marijuana to ease his back pain, believes the NBA should study the medical properties of the substance, relays Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. The league continues to drug test players and coaches, but Kerr said some exceptions should be considered in the new collective bargaining agreement. “I think the league should look into the use of medicinal marijuana for pain relief,” Kerr said. “As far as recreational, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about pain relief and what’s best for our players’ health. That’s what should be in the CBA, and that’s what our owners and the league and the players’ union should be most concerned with.”
An opposing view comes from Suns coach Earl Watson, who as a youth saw many of his friends use marijuana as a gateway to harder drugs, writes ESPN’s Chris Haynes. “I think our rhetoric on it has to be very careful because you have a lot of kids where I’m from that’s reading this, and they think [marijuana use is] cool,” Watson said. “It’s not cool. Where I’m from, you don’t get six fouls to foul out. You get three strikes. One strike leads to another. I’m just being honest with you, so you have to be very careful with your rhetoric.”
Restrictive NCAA rules soured Luke Walton on the idea of college coaching, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Walton spent a year as an assistant at the University of Memphis in 2011, but didn’t like the limitations he had to follow. “The time I spent and was allowed to be with the players on the court, I really loved,” Walton said. “But because of all the other stuff, it was nice to realize the NBA was probably the way I wanted to go instead of college.”

Eastern Rumors: Cousins, Noel, George

December 1st, 2016 at 10:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeMarcus Cousins is well aware that many Celtics fans want him in Boston but he hasn’t ruled out signing an extension with the Kings, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. Cousins, who isn’t eligible to hit the free agent market until 2018, told Blakely he would not rule out the possibility of staying with Sacramento long-term. “I got a season and a whole other season,” Cousins said. “I focus on these guys right here; I focus on winning games; I focus on making the playoffs; that’s it.” However, Cousins is unfazed about the constant trade chatter, in which Boston is prominently mentioned as a logical match. “Most of the rumors come from people who want me on their team,” he told Blakely. “It doesn’t bother me.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Nerlens Noel isn’t happy about the logjam in the Sixers’ frontcourt, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Noel is skeptical that there will be enough minutes to go around, now that Joel Embiid has established himself, Narducci continues. “I don’t think the roster’s changed,” Noel told Narducci. Noel, sidelined by a knee injury since training camp, returned to the team on Thursday after working out with its D-League affiliate. But coach Brett Brown estimates Noel will miss four or five more games, Narducci adds.
Guard Josh Richardson returned to Miami during the Heat’s current three-game road trip to get treatment for his sore ankle, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Richardson suffered the injury against the Celtics on Monday. Miami is already playing without two of its top wings, Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters, due to injuries. “It’s an easy decision for us,” coach Erik Spoelstra told Winderman and other beat writers. “His ankle is really sore. He has a bunch of other little, minor things going on. So we just wanted to go back, get his body right, feel right for the next three days, four days. We’ll reevaluate him then.”
Pacers star Paul George plans to return to action on Sunday after missing six of the last seven games with an ankle injury, according to Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. George feels like his team, which is one game under .500, needs his leadership on the court. “I think just sitting out and watching, I’ve got to get back to being the guy for us,” he told Taylor. “I’ve got to have the trust of the team, I’ve got to have the trust of the organization. This has been my group, this has been my team. I’ve got to get back to that.”

Kings Notes: Cousins, Casspi, Gay, Stauskas

November 30th, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings coach Dave Joerger has gone back to a bigger starting lineup in an effort to improve the team’s defense, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Kosta Koufos is back with the starters, being used at center with DeMarcus Cousins at power forward. Joerger briefly tried a small-ball starting lineup, but wasn’t satisfied with the results. “I’m trying to protect DeMarcus a little bit by letting Kosta take the hits on a bigger guy like [Washington Wizards center Marcin] Gortat,” Joerger said. “And defensively more pick-and-rolls and try to save [Cousins’] legs for the end.”

There’s more news out of Sacramento:

Cousins continues to put up incredible numbers, averaging 28.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per night, but the Kings need more production from their complementary players, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. “We’ve just got to be better,” Omri Casspi said after Monday’s overtime loss at Washington. “Our bench guys and our role players have to do a better job of helping DeMarcus. It feels like he’s doing anything he can to win the game for us. We’ve just got to be better.”
Rudy Gay confirmed that he has left Octagon Basketball, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Gay, who has suggested that he won’t be re-signing with Sacramento after he becomes a free agent next summer, may be joining Roc Nation, an agency headed by rapper Jay Z (Twitter link). However, he told Jones that the change isn’t related to his impending free agency (Twitter link).
Nik Stauskas says it doesn’t bother him to hear that the Kings feel like they should have drafted someone else in 2014, Jones posts on Facebook. Owner Vivek Ranadive recently told Amick that he preferred Magic guard Elfrid Payton over Stauskas as the No. 8 pick. “Like I said, they did me a favor sending me here to Philadelphia,” Stauskas replied. “I’ve had a really good opportunity to play even though I hadn’t been performing though my first year with the Sixers. I’m thankful that the organization gave me an opportunity, they drafted me, but if they felt like the made a mistake by drafting me then they felt like they made a mistake. I can’t do anything about it now.”