DeMarcus Cousins trade: Kings owner feels Buddy Hield is the next Stephen Curry

Vivek Ranadive, owner of the Sacramento Kings, reckons that Buddy Hield has "Stephen Curry potential" and therefore didn't hesitate before trading DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the former Oklahoma Sooners sharpshooter. Last year, Kings general manager Vlade Divac emphatically said that the team would pick Hield No.2 in the draft only behind Ben Simmons.

The basketball world is still in shock over Sunday's blockbuster DeMarcus Cousins trade. Mostly because the Kings gave away the No. 1 big man in the sport for an unproven rookie, a veteran swingman with little upside (Tyreke Evans) and future draft picks that could barely amount to anything. The Kings have received a ton of flak from analysts, some of whom are calling it "the worst trade in NBA history."

However, if Hield turns into he player that Ranadive and Divac expect him to, Sunday's trade could be looked back upon as a stroke of genius on part of the Sacramento Kings. During the 2016 NBA Draft, the Kings traded their No. 8 pick to the Phoenix Suns (who proceeded to select Marquese Chriss) after Hiled was projected to go within the top-5. Eventually, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Hield with the No. 6 pick while the Kings settled for Greek centre Georgios Papagiannis with the No. 13 pick.

DeMarcus Cousins trade: Kings gave up "better offers" for Buddy Hield

According to ESPN's Baxtler Holmes, a source close to the Kings revealed the owner's thinking prior to Sunday's trade. "Vivek thinks Buddy (Hield) has Steph Curry potential. (I) am told that fixation was a key driver in deal (DeMarcus Cousins trade)," Holmes tweeted on Monday.

Last year, Hield put the basketball world on notice with a record-breaking senior year in Oklahoma, averaging 25.0 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting an astonishing .457 from the three-point line. Hield was duly rewarded with the John R. Wooden Award for the best college basketball player for the 2015-2016 season. Despite his impressive collegiate career, scouts hesitated to recommend Hield over the likes of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram due to his extended stay with the Oklahoma Sooners. Typically, top draft prospects exit college after their freshman or junior year.

Last year, hall-of-famer Oscar Robertson raised some eyebrows when he opined that Hield was a "better all-round player" than Curry. "(Hield) has confidence in getting his shot away. I don’t think any of these players can guard him. Just like Steph Curry, they can’t guard him. They can’t guard Buddy, either. Plus, he can go inside and he can rebound. It means a lot also other being a shot, he’s a great basketball player," the Big O said, via Fox Sports.

On Monday, the Kings front office revealed that they passed up on "better offers" for a DeMarcus Cousins trade but went with the New Orleans Pelicans' offer, primarily due to the involvement of Buddy Hield. Would the Kings live to regret the trade? Stay tuned for the latest news and updates ahead of Thursday's NBA Trade Deadline. As a rookie, Buddy Hield is averaging a tally of 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting .369 from deep.