The last couple of seasons, trade rumors have followed DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins has spent his entire career with the Sacramento Kings, and for most of that time, he's been the organization's lone bright spot.

Without a playoff appearance in years and a front office that's drawn heavy criticism, many pundits feel that dealing Cousins is an inevitable outcome for the Kings. Unless they can guarantee that Boogie will stay long-term, that logic seems to hold up.

But, so far, rumors of his departure to franchises like the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have been overstated, at least according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

In a recent appearance on the Washington Post's “Posting Up” podcast, Windhorst was asked if Cousins will remain in Sacramento for the duration of the 2016-17 season.

His response:

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I think so… Things do tend to happen fast in the NBA… I don’t think the Kings have ever been seriously close to trading him.

This contradicts rumors that have made it seem like a Cousins trade was imminent in the past.

For all of his anger issues and clashes with management, DeMarcus is still an incredibly talented big man, one of the best in the game. The Kings won't just unload their most valuable asset unless they receive an offer that blows them out of the water.

As Windhorst notes, things do occur quickly in the NBA, so if the Kings get off to another poor start and Cousins' attitude suffers, a trade is certainly possible.