DeMarcus Cousins will sit out the Kings' final two games for rest, Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 Sacramento (KXTV) reports.

Cousins will sit out the Kings' final two games of the season Monday against the Suns and Wednesday against the Rockets for rest, Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 Sacramento (KXTV) reports.

Analysis:

Coach George Karl suggested last weekend that Cousins would be held out of the team's season-ending two-game road trip, but it wasn't clear if that plan was still in the fold after Cousins ended up sitting out a home game last Thursday against the Timberwolves. After Cousins returned to action in Saturday's 114-112 win over the Thunder to produce 15 points (7-24 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 1-4 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block before fouling out in 32 minutes, the team decided that it was best to shelve him for the rest of the way. In addition to prioritizing the big man's long-term health, the Kings likely wanted to eliminate the possibility of Cousins earning another technical foul, which would trigger a one-game suspension that might have potentially been enforced for the first game of 2016-17. With two years left on his contract, Cousins will be back with the Kings next season and should be ready to go at the start of training camp. Despite his moody ways and frequent clashing with Karl, Cousins still turned in the best season of his career in 2015-16, averaging 26.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 blocks over 65 games. Look for Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos to take on heavy workloads in the frontcourt during the final two contests.