Texan Mosaic

by STEVEN GEHEGAN//Sports Editor

After a few season were big named players stayed on their teams, we finally see a star one move to another team, for next to nothing.

The Sacramento Kings decided to trade their superstar center, DeMarcus Cousins, and forward Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans for guard Buddy Hield, guard Tyreke Evans, guard Langston Galloway and a first and second-round pick in the 2017 draft. This trade pairs two star players in New Orleans with Cousins and Anthony Davis.

While this trade may seem one-side in favor of the Pelicans, the Kings also greatly benefit from this deal. It is clear what the Pelicans get in Cousins, but in this new era of small ball, this paring might not work out. While it is always good to have as many great players as you can get, it is better to get star players who play different positions.

The big question with acquiring Cousins is who is going to play the power forward spot. I think it will end up being Cousins, since he is better at stretching the floor than Davis. While that might be the case on most nights, it would be smart for the Pelicans to switch their positions based on the team that they are playing.

While adding Cousins is nice, the Pelicans would have been better off trying to get an elite guard to pair with Davis, not another center. With what the Pelicans gave up to get him, it is going to be even harder on them to win games with the lack of depth.

Giving up those guards and draft picks could hurt this team in the long run, since this team was nowhere near winning a National Basketball Association title. And if remains to be seen If Cousins and Davis alone are any better off than the Pelicans were before the trade.   

The team that seems to have gotten very little back in the trade for their star may actually be the real winners here. First, the Kings got rid of Cousins. While he is a great talent, he seems to have a problem keeping his emotions in check. He is a very emotional player, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But on a team that is as dysfunctional as the Kings, he was only hurting the team.

With the Kings getting rid of Cousins, it is a chance for the franchise to finally start over. With the two picks they get in what is perceived to be a deep draft, the Kings will have to start drafting players for their future. Also, Hield is only a rookie, so he should only get better. With the Kings getting rid of their star player, it should help them tank for a better draft pick, which they are going to need to replace a star like Cousins.

While it may seem that the Pelicans got the better deal on paper, it seems that this deal will benefit the Kings far more.