The first blockbuster of NBA trade-deadline season has arrived. According to several reports on Twitter, the Sacramento Kings have agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he will join fellow former Kentucky Wildcat big man (and MVP of tonight’s All-Star Game) Anthony Davis. Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski had it first, so far as I can tell:
No official word yet on the haul they’ll get in return. Woj has the package including veteran guard (and former disappointing King) Tyreke Evans, rookie swingman Buddy Hield, and a first- and second-round draft choice, both in 2017:
ESPN’s Marc Stein has it as Evans and the two picks, but with guard Langston Galloway instead of Hield:
All of this is to say, the Kings are not getting much in return. Both of these packages suck.
I may or may not update this post with the official trade package, if I’m still awake. It’s a big trade!
Update (12:04am): Some more information about the trade. Woj reports the 2017 first-round pick going from the Pelicans to the Kings is partially protected, rendering this trade haul even worse.
Also, LOL, The Vertical’s Shams Charania reports the Kings threw another actual living person into the deal from their end, because one of the best big men in the entire NBA wasn’t enough to score them a protected first-round pick from the goddamn Pelicans:
Update (12:13am): OH GOD NO
NO NO NO NO NO.
OH GOD.
Update (12:18am): If you know any Kings fans, please call them on the telephone to make sure they are okay.
Update (12:28am): So I guess it’s what Woj reported and what Stein reported.
Oh, well, in that case.
Update (12:39am): Here’s a fun pair of tweets. (I have no idea whether the first one is true, but at this point it’s depressingly plausible.)