DeMarcus Cousins spoke to the media before the Sacramento Kings played the Washington Wizards about the possibility of playing with John Wall.

Cousins was asked if he and Wall ever discuss the situations they presently find themselves in where they're playing for teams not presently considered contenders. Cousins and Wall were teammates at Kentucky.

"Do we ever talk about playing with one another? Is that your question? It's come up," said Cousins. "They're going to all come to Sac. Come to Sac."

Cousins won't be a free agent until 2018 but he is currently adamant about wanting to remain with the Kings. Wall won't be a free agent until 2019.

"He wants me here," said Cousins about Wall. "Eric (Bledsoe) wants us in Phoenix."

Cousins was asked if he thinks there will ever be a time when he plays with Wall.

"You never know. Maybe. There might be a time we team up in a rec league after we retire or something. You never know."

Cousins was finally asked if playing with Wall is something he would want.

"Play with John and Eric again... you never know what will happen. It's the NBA, so hopefully one day he'll be in a Sacramento uniform," said Cousins.

Danny Ainge continues to seek a major trade to upgrade the roster of the Boston Celtics.

Boston's current roster composition doesn't blend as well as the front office would like.

The Celtics have the right to swap their 2017 first round pick with the Brooklyn Nets. 

The Celtics also own the Nets' 2018 first rounder, as well as 2019 first rounders from the Clippers and Grizzlies.

While the Phoenix Suns have publicly said Brandon Knight is not available, rival teams believe Ryan McDonough will eventually be included in trade talks.

Knight has struggled this season coming off the bench behind Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker.

Knight agreed upon a five-year, $70 million deal with the Suns in 2015 and won't be a free agent until 2020.

Knight is averaging 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 24.9 minutes per game so far in 16-17.

The Sacramento Kings have given the representatives of Omri Casspi permission to search out potential trade partners. Dan Fegan represents Casspi as well as DeMarcus Cousins.

Casspi hasn't been part of Dave Joerger's rotations plans so far this season.

Casspi enjoyed a career year in 15-16 under George Karl.

Casspi will be a free agent in the 2017 offseason.

DeMarcus Cousins will be a free agent in 2018 and the Sacramento Kings still don't look like a probable playoff team. The Kings have two more trade deadlines and an offseason to consider trading Cousins.

Cousins is averaging 26.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists with a PER of 27.3 this season.

The relationship between Cousins and the Kings' management has been at times tumultuous. 

"I've had a couple of guys from other teams tell me they're starting to hear the Kings are starting to get sick of Cousins," said Lowe. "No one knows who's making the decisions from the ownership level, not who's making the decisions, but there's just so many voices among ownership. They have a million minority owners. Vlade (Divac) and Ken Catanella; there's just a lot of voices and no one knows who quite to listen to."

The New Orleans Pelicans have been plagued by injuries and an insufficient supporting cast but Anthony Davis has remained loyal to the franchise.

“My desire to win here is the same,” Davis told The Vertical. “I go out there and play. I don’t care what the record is. I just go out there and play. I have to lead this team and make sure my guys are always happy and high energy. I don’t care what people say about our team. They’re not in our locker room seeing us, not part of our group. That’s all white noise.

“I just try to control what I can: go out there and compete.”

Davis was asked if his aspirations to win with the Pelicans has wavered amid the team's poor results and injuries.

“No, no, never,” Davis told The Vertical.

Davis is averaging 31.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and three blocks as he continues to perform as one of the NBA's best players.

“Injuries happen, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” Davis said. “I just wanted to get my body right to be able to play all 82 [games] this year and then play the postseason. I know how important it is to take care of my body and stay on the floor as much as possible.

“I know this team and what people say is noise. We just want to compete and get wins.”

Davis has a player option in his deal where he can become a free agent in the 2020 offseason.

Brandon Knight is coming off the bench this season for the Phoenix Suns with Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker starting, which has led to some speculation about his future with the franchise.

“We’re certainly not looking to move Brandon, we haven’t been close to trading Brandon,” Ryan McDonough said. “I think he’d love to be starting, we understand that. He’s accepted the role very well. I think you guys will see him go on a run here. As you know, watching him play the last couple years, he has the ability to get hot and put up a lot of points in a hurry and take over stretches of games — he hasn’t done that yet for us consistently but I think it’s coming.”

Knight signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Suns during the 2015 offseason.

Knight won't be a free agent until 2020 and has a PER of just 11.2.

Bob Myers attempted to remove any doubt about the future of Klay Thompson with the Golden State Warriors.

“We’re not trading Klay,” Myers said. “That’s the short answer.”

The Thompson trade rumor began with Brian Scalabrine reading speculation during a radio appearance that made it sound as if he had inside information.

“I know Scalabrine, I know him. I represented him. Just call me,” Myers said on 95.7. “Call me and say, ‘Hey man. I saw this. I’m gonna go on the radio. Is it true?’ And then it’s over.”

Even though Scalabrine backed away from his statements, Myers still had to do damage control.

“I wish there was a little bit more discipline because you know what it causes: I gotta talk to Klay Thompson,” Myers said. “I gotta talk to his agent. And I get it, it’s part of the job. And there are times where rumors have weight to them and meaning, but I think it requires a little bit more diligence than just throwing stuff out there.”

“I told Klay,” Myers continued. “I called him and I said, ‘Klay doesn’t listen to anything.’ He doesn’t even know who we play most of the time, he’s not a guy that’s reading everything. He hadn’t even seen it. Then I talked to his agent. the media is very, very powerful. And we’re in a very public business.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder remain interested in trading for Rudy Gay.

Gay can become a free agent in the 2017 offseason and is not expected to have interest in re-signing with the Sacramento Kings.

The Thunder have always had an interest in bigger wings like Gay, who would allow them to slide Victor Oladipo to a 6th man role and Andre Roberson to shooting guard.

Gay is a career 34.5 percent three-point shooter and is shooting 42.4 percent this season.

DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 26.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the Sacramento Kings as they continue to struggle to field a competent team around him. Cousins will be a free agent in the 2018 offseason, which gives the Kings just three more windows to trade him otherwise risk having him leave without compensation.

“It is not going to happen unless the Kings cave a little,” said a Western Conference general manager. “No one is going to give up too much for someone who might ruin your team’s chemistry this year, then ruin it next year when he is playing for free-agent money. If they don’t see that, then I don’t think it changes and I don’t think he goes anywhere. I don’t know that is good for them or for him, either. But that’s the reality.”

Some executives expect the Kings to explore trade scenarios involving Cousins as early as December.

“I’d say they have three months, tops,” said the GM. “Probably more like a month, or month-and-a-half, because the closer they get to the (February trade) deadline, the less they’re going to get back. If you’re trying to trade him the week of the deadline, it’s going to be tougher.”

The Kings aren't ready to give up on the current season and will evaluate the team following their five straight home games.

“You have one owner in Sacramento who does not want to give him up,” an Eastern Conference GM said. “And you have 29 other owners who don’t want to overpay because they are scared the guy is going to be a headache and is going to hurt the organization.”