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Nuggets' Malone wonders 'what if' about Cousins, Kings

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports / Media Express

Less than three years ago, Michael Malone was coaching the Sacramento Kings with DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, and Rudy Gay in his arsenal. He returned to Sacramento as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, to seek his first win against his former team.

In light of Boogie's move to New Orleans, Malone was wondering what might have been, according to CSN's James Ham.

“I always go back and think - ‘what could have happened if myself, DeMarcus, Isaiah, a healthy Rudy, if we were all together?,’” Malone said Thursday, noting this week's Cousins trade to the Pelicans was a surprise. “We’ll never know, but I like to think that a lot of positive things would have happened, because I felt like we had something good going here. And it wasn’t to be.”

Gay is the only one of the three players who is still with the Kings, and was ruled out for the season in January with a ruptured Achilles. Thomas left in a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns in 2014-15, and later that season was traded to the Boston Celtics. Malone was fired 24 games into that season.

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