Report: DeMarcus Cousins changes agents

DeMarcus Cousins has made a mess for himself. He’s lashed out at opponents, coaches, announcers -- pretty much everyone. He’s been fined, he’s been suspended. The Kings are tired of apologies. Cousins is sick of losing. And around and around we go.

No matter whose side you’re on, it’s safe to say that Cousins has painted himself into a corner with some immature actions. So who do you call to clean up the mess? The Winston Wolfe of NBA agents.

Cousins has looked outside for help, according to this from Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee:

DeMarcus Cousins has also fired his agent John Greig to go with Dan Fegan.

— JasonJones (@mr_jasonjones) December 23, 2012

Normally this wouldn’t be big news, but Dan Fegan has a bit of a reputation. When players want out, he’s the guy they bring in. Remember the “Dwightmare” saga with Dwight Howard in Orlando? Fegan engineered the trade, and made sure Howard landed in one of his preferred spots.

Maybe more relevant to Cousins’ situation with the Kings is Fegan’s relationship with Sacramento Kings GM Geoff Petrie. Here’s Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty, recalling how former Kings guard Kevin Martin left town as soon as Martin signed with Fegan:

“Things could have gotten better, but then Martin signed with Fegan. And Martin-Tyreke Evans didn’t really work out. And Martin was getting his side out in the media, through Sam Amick (...) Things got really toxic.”

Ziller excerpts a piece from the aforementioned Sam Amick, who really sums up what Fegan is all about:

“Martin’s hiring of Fegan didn’t sit well with Petrie, as the agent is among the most influential in the game and known for putting serious pressure on teams if his guy doesn’t want to be in the current locale.”

If you recall, Martin eventually got his wish and was traded from Sacramento. It looks like that’s where we are with Cousins now. The chances Fegan is there to play nice with Petrie and negotiate Cousins’ next contract are slim-to-none. The chances Fegan is there to put pressure on Petrie to find Cousins a new home? Much, much more likely.

Someone will want to take a chance on the kid. Say what you will about Cousins -- he deserves plenty of criticism here -- but it’s not as though Sacramento is the ideal environment for any young player. That organization and team is a full blown disaster, and it’s pretty clear that the relationship between the Kings and Cousins has reached a tipping point.

Fegan solves problems. It’s not always pretty, but he fixes things for his clients. It’s just a matter of time before he does the same for Cousins.