Cousins insists he wants to stay in Sacramento
by By Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – DeMarcus Cousins strolled into a local Wal-Mart here late Sunday night, the Sacramento Kings big man standing out amid the holiday rush as closing time neared.
He stopped to take pictures with fans in the aisles, offering a hearty smile for the folks who didn’t mention his blowup at coach Keith Smart at halftime of Friday’s game against the Clippers or the absence that ensued in that night’s win against Portland after the Kings indefinitely suspended him.
This was the other side of the 22-year-old Cousins, who just two days before had yelled so aggressively and profanely at Smart in the Staples Center locker room that his bosses told him to go home until they invited him back.
The Kings, who had seen his sinister side all too often in recent weeks, made it clear that they were done with his nonsense and negativity. And once word spread a day later that Cousins fired the only agent he had ever had, John Greig, and hired a powerful new one, Dan Fegan, who just months ago was helping Dwight Howard force his way out of Orlando and who has had a problematic past with Kings general manager Geoff Petrie, the natural next question was whether this was a precursor to Cousins demanding a trade.
Even though Cousins has shared his frustrations about the Kings organization privately so many times before, he insisted a trade demand wasn’t on the horizon. It’s still not a season to be jolly about, but Cousins said he wants to be in Sacramento.
“I want to be in Sacramento,” he told USA TODAY Sports.
Asked if he wanted to be in Sacramento for the long term and if he could see himself wanting to sign another contract with the team either this summer (by way of an extension) or when his rookie deal expires after next season and he would become a restricted free agent, Cousins paused for some three seconds before answering.
“I want to be in Sacramento,” he repeated. “The possibility does exist. It’s a possibility.”
As is stands, of course, the Kings are trying to decide … [For more on DeMarcus Cousins insists he wants to stay in Sacramento, click here.]
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