The Cousins Era is Over. Nobody Wants to Admit It, Though.

If I'm running the Kings, I'm getting ready to field all offers for DeMarcus Cousins.

There's really no other choice at this point.

The sulking superstar has reached his Sacramento expiration date. There's been too much turmoil, too many deep-background leaks, too many coaching changes, too many on-court explosions. I don't think anyone believes the hulking center is ready to go through another season of losing.

Of course, the notion of trading Cousins seems ludicrous on first blush. He's the most dominant center in the game, a bull of man who punishes opponents. His defense has improved tremendously and his passing is sometimes remarkable.

But you can't deal a star from a position of weakness - and that's exactly where the Kings will be next season if things don't drastically turn around. A beef with coach George Karl or an eight-game losing streak would most likely knock him off the rails and send him into the final tailspin, eventually leading to a trade request.

And when teams need to deal players, there's blood in the water. Offers get diluted. Teams play hardball.

The Kings have a new arena coming on line. They need to freshen the air. They need to wipe away the stink of losing and turmoil. And, most of all, they need to bring in a crop of players who are likeable, unselfish and motivated.

Luckily, with a trade chips like DeMarcus and Rudy Gay (yes, I'd trade him, too), you can just about retool your entire roster. 

Could you perhaps deal Cousins and Carl Landry for a package of players like Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic, Joaquin Noah and first-round picks from the Bulls?  I would.

But there are probably other monster offers that could come their way.

Yes, it's hard to get equal value for a superstar. But it's even harder to get value for a pissed-off superstar who wants out. I'd betting even odds that Cousins is a very pissed-off superstar by week six of next season.

Karl knows the type of player he wants. I'm not sure Cousins fits the bill. And I'm not sure he even gives a bleep.

Cousins is all about Cousins right now. The Kings need to be all about the team's future.