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One team needs a bad boy.
The other, a good boy.
Trading DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings to the Los Angeles Lakers would be a great move for both franchises.
For the Lakers, they could use a dose of “someone with something to prove” after three consecutive years of injury and lackluster resolve.
The Kings have gone too long now with a lousy team and a whole lot riding on a new arena.
Cousins hasn’t inspired the cultural shift Sacramento needs to make the franchise relevant again. It certainly appears he doesn’t want to be there. And they need a buzz.
In Sacramento, Cousins is a throwback to the bad boys of Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Scot Pollard from back in the day, who nearly bullied their way past the Kobe-Shaq Lakers en route to a Championship and a dynasty.
Only they never made it.
They haven’t won anything.
They are no shining example of success.
The Kings are ready to rebuild from scratch, bring in some hard working “good guys,” trade in a few familiar veterans, like a Vince Carter, Matt Barnes or a Carlos Boozer, to make the team interesting with the potential to make the Playoffs. Playing their young draft talent alongside cagey role-players fills the seats and sets the team up for immediate success. It seems as though the new Kings organization wants to clean up their image. Starting from scratch and grooming new young talent from within, inside an awesome new stadium, will re-invent the Kings for the better for today’s generation.
The Lakers have a really intriguing opportunity with Cousins.
He gives them instant toughness. He has a chip on his shoulder. He wants to prove something to this league.
He wants to win a Championship.
At worst, he becomes the Rick Fox or Metta World Peace of the team. Not the #1 go-to, but not afraid to take the charge, get into a scruff, and take the occasional big shot.
At best, the Lakers have found the player worthy of the passing of the torch after one last run at the Playoffs before Kobe Bryant retires.
Byron Scott is the kind of coach Cousins just might respond to. He has the toughness to coach him. He expects toughness back. He doesn’t want it dirty, but he wants it all out on the floor.
The Lakers are the kind of franchise Cousins just might respond to.
If the Lakers can convince the Kings they should be like the Lakers, and if the Kings are willing to let the Lakers be like the Kings, both teams may find themselves in an ironic place: Squaring off against each other again in the Western Conference Finals.