NBA player and 2016 USA Basketball Men's National Team members DeMarcus Cousins (L) and DeAndre Jordan attend the Team USA welcome dinner hosted by Carmelo Anthony at Lakeside at Wynn Las Vegas. (Photo : Getty Images/Bryan Steffy)
The Sacramento Kings have agreed to send DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans in a multi-player deal. The Pelicans will send Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway plus their first and second round 2017 draft picks this Summer, practically wiping out their guard line.
The deal comes a bit of a surprise considering DeMarcus Cousins mentioned a couple of days ago he was happy in Sacramento. Even before that, team owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac reiterated that “Boogie” was not on the block. From there it seemed Cousins was ready to take up the Kings on their long-time offer, a deal reportedly valued at $219 million, ESPN reported. Apparently the Kings had a change of heart.
The Kings now have a twin-tower combo featuring Cousins and Anthony Davis. But the immediate problem that coach Alvin Gentry will have to address is their backcourt. With Hield, Evans, and Galloway out, only Tim Frazier remains. Quin Cook could be an option and the word out is that the Pelicans are looking into the D-Leaguer.
Looking ahead, equally interesting is if Cousins will remain in New Orleans beyond this season. According to Cousins’ agent Jarinn Akana, “Boogie” would probably decline to sign an extension with any team that trades for him according to another and most recent report from ESPN.
The deal follows a record-breaking by Anthony Davis who dropped 52 points to help the West All-Stars win over their Eastern counterparts (192-182). The 23-year-old was adjudged the All-Star MVP and also shattered the previous record held by Wilt Chamberlain (42 points) in 1962.
With the deal, the fortunes of the Kings and the Pelicans are also expected to change. The Kings are 24-33 while the Pelicans are 23-34. Both will try to see if the deal can improve their chances of securing the eighth slot.
The Denver Nuggets are sitting at the eighth position in the Western Conference standings with 25-31 with the Kings and Pelicans not far behind. Also in the running are the Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves as teams gear up for the penultimate stage of the 2016-17 NBA season.
Check out the video below showing DeMarcus Cousins and his take on the Pelicans trade.
