No to Boogie, Keep the Pick
When the Cavs acquired the Brooklyn Nets pick from the Boston Celtics in the Kyrie Irving trade, media and fans were already thinking of ideas how to move the pick to add a piece to the Cavs roster. Brooklyn will most likely finish in the bottom five of the NBA; there is a high value to the pick and the Cavs could get a lot in return.
The problem is who? Many of the intriguing players who were in trade talks a year ago are in brand new places (Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony etc.).
There is one whose name continues to be brought up.
DeMarcus Cousins.
Cavs fans seem to be urging the front office to move the pick to get Cousins. Even though I seem to be in the minority on this subject, I am going to say it would be a dumb move for the Cavs to acquire Cousins.
Here is why.
Cousins is a head case he has proven over and over again that it is Cousins’ world and we all live in it. This is Cousins’ seventh NBA season and he is already on his sixth head coach. You can blame the Kings franchise to a certain extent, but at some point, you have to point the finger at Cousins, who always seemed to be unhappy with his current head coach.
Cousins seemed to be unhappy throughout his whole time in Sacramento and then they trade him to New Orleans and he is unhappy about that.
Not to mention the guy can’t even stay on the floor. Last year Cousins set an NBA record for the fastest to reach 16 technical fouls in a season. He reached it in 50 games, he got 16 technical fouls in four months.
For those who don’t know, once you reach 16 technical fouls in a season you get suspended one game. Once you reach 16 techs, any technical foul after that is an automatic one-game suspension.
Here is a compilation of DeMarcus Cousins technical fouls. You can look and say some are questionable, but the guy has a reputation and don’t you find it funny that he is the only one?
Oh, don’t worry, guys, Cousins already has his first technical foul after one game.
ONE GAME!!!!
He received it for yelling at a fan with 50 seconds remaining in the game. The game was over and he felt the need to yell at a fan.
I think it is dumb how fans egg players on and call them names, but Cousins isn’t the first one to be yelled at by a fan and isn’t the last. Cousins is just one of the few who can’t contain himself to not yell back.
Another theory Cavs fans have is that LeBron can fix him. People think he would listen and behave to LeBron.
Listen, LeBron may be one of the greatest teammates of all time and no one makes players around him better like LeBron.
But, didn’t Cleveland just have a star that didn’t get along with LeBron and ask out of a trade? You could be the greatest teammate in the world and you are going to have people who don’t like you. That is just life.
Boogie is going to be Boogie and you can’t change that. You sure can’t change that in a few months. You honestly think Cousins is going to walk into the Cavs locker room and all of a sudden become a changed man in a matter of a few months?
LeBron is great but he isn’t Jesus.
Also, there is no guarantee LeBron is going to be back next year. The Cavs need that pick to have something to build off of if he leaves. Just because you make a move for Cousins doesn’t mean LeBron is all of a sudden going to change his mind. Not to mention Cousins is also a free agent and he could leave.
Cousins has a great relationship with John Wall and it has been rumored that they could team up together. Because Wall just signed an extension in Washington, that would mean Cousins would have to go to Washington to form another version of a super team.
There is a good chance the Cavs could land a top-5 pick in the draft and there are plenty of young and talented players that will be in the draft come June. The Cavs could draft one and not experience the severe drop off like they experienced back in 2010.
Cousins may be the most talented center in the game and no one is denying that. The problem is Cousins has baggage and to think that all of a sudden that baggage is going to disappear is ridiculous.
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Images: ESPN
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