It's really easy to pull fake rumors out of your butt. Here, I'll reach up there and pull one out right now.
"My sister says things were getting heated over on Causeway Street today... all the hard hitters were on deck... Ainge, Wyc, Pags, Gotham, Stevens, Brad's lap-dog Drew, etc... There's been a bunch of internal debate about Cousins. Ainge believes in him. Others think he's not worth the price it will take to land him. Part of the problem revolves around Marcus Smart. Smart is inarguably the most valuable chip and the key to getting a deal involved with Sacramento. There's some hesitancy to move him from members of the org who want to avoid another Billups/Joe Johnson type situation. Some believe Smart will be a star. Others see a ceiling. Further complicating matters is that the Kings have thus-far shown little interest in Smart as a direct asset. Apparently, Vlade is the point-man there now and has expressed doubts about Smart's future as a ball-handing distributor. Contrary to public perception, the team still sees Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas as a sharp-shooting tandem and is looking to acquire a play maker who can get them the ball. Also, the Kings are adamant that they get a young center in any deal shipping out Cousins. This rules out Boston's offer, which includes amongst other things Jared Sullinger and Marcus Smart. There's been lengthy discussion with the Wolves as a third team. Both Boston and Sac are coming at 'Sota on two fronts. The goal is to get Sota to take on Sullinger and Smart (they are selling them on the idea of Wiggins as the main ball-handler with Smart and upcoming draftee Karl Anthony Townes forming a formidable defensive unit along with Wiggins)... Ricky Rubio and Dieng would be sent to Sacramento... Cousins sent to Boston. Obviously, lots and lots of details and draft picks still left to be worked out and the whole thing could fall apart. Side note: Sacramento had initially tried to pry the #1 pick out of 'Sota instead (and bypass Boston altogether), but Cousin's people have made it known that he's not playin in Minnesota. ALl that said, look for restricted free agent point guard Brandon Knight to be a surprise target for Boston in free agency. If Boston has their way, they'll throw a max contract at Knight to be Boston's starting PG after Smart is traded. The team still sees Thomas as a back-up solution and supposedly Ainge is a big fan of the 23 year old Knight. There's a belief that the Suns, who already have Eric Bledsoe, will refuse to match a max contract on Knight. Of course, this requires Boston to dump Wallace's contract in order to support trading for Cousins and having cap space for Knight. Thus far, the Kings are unwilling to take on Wallace's contract (they want the cap relief)... so Boston will need to work that out in a separate deal. This all very complicated... I'll let you know if my sister hears anything else... but keep it to yourself guise, my sister's job is on the line here... that's why I'm posting it publicly on one of the biggest sports forums in the entire world..."