DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors have picked up again as the NBA season wraps up another week. Cousins is getting shopped around by the Sacramento Kings, with the potential that he could be dealt before the NBA All-Star break. A report by Yahoo! Sports addresses some of the problems that the Kings are having, though, which includes finding a trade partner that will give the team what it wants in return for Cousins.

Through seven games in the 2016-17 NBA season, DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 26.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He is well on his way to another All-Star Game invite, but it hasn’t translated into success for the Sacramento Kings. The updated NBA standings have the Kings at just 2-5, good enough for 12th place in the Western Conference. The team could still make a run at the postseason, but it would be tough with the current roster.

With the continued struggles of the Kings, coupled with the extensive personal success that Cousins has had, it could surprise some NBA fans that a trade still hasn’t taken place. It isn’t that the Kings haven’t tried to find another trading partner and it isn’t that other general managers doubt that Cousins could be a star in another city. The biggest problem, according to other GMs, is that the Kings are asking for too much in return.

[Image by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]

The one component that has kept the latest DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors from leading to something is that the front office in Sacramento has been asking for unrealistic packages of players. Most of the general managers that are making comments in the media are doing so without revealing their names, possibly trying to drive down the value of one of the best big men in the NBA.

“They’ll never get what they want in return. They think Cousins is worth more than he actually is. He hurts you every bit as much as he helps you. He’s like a cheeseburger, or booze. Too much and you’ll pay a price.”

That wasn’t the only quote that an NBA general manager has made in regard to the recent DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors. Others have pointed to how he could be a problem in the locker room, meaning a team wouldn’t want to give up too much to acquire a player who might come with “baggage.”

“I’d be terrified with that guy on my team. They’ve asked me about him, what I’d give up. The answer is not much, no one that I value. I’d take (Cousins), but you’d need a dominant personality to control him. I’ve been in that locker room. He’s a problem. They’d love to trade him, but can’t. So they act like they won’t. They would, though — tomorrow.”

[Image by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]

There are going to be a lot of NBA trade rumors as teams start to figure out that they might be a piece or two away from becoming true contenders this year. That could lead to more interest in acquiring Cousins, with the potential still out there that another franchise could over-pay to acquire the big man. Teams like the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors continue to get mentioned as possible destinations for the big man.

The 2017 NBA trade deadline falls on February 19, giving the Sacramento Kings a lot of additional time to make a deal. Cousins also has one more year left on his current contract, so it won’t be just a short-term rental for that possible trading partner. Until the asking price comes down a bit, though, it does appear that the latest DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors aren’t going to lead to any tangible discussions with fellow NBA general managers.

[Featured Image by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images]