Jimmy Butler (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors coverage were shocked by the DeMarcus Cousins news. The Pelicans were hardly even a top 10 candidate to land him.
Why not? It's not like the Pelicans are the Sixers. They are actually seeking a center and were on the verge of trading for Jahlil Okafor based on several reports. Needless to say, their hesitation was rewarded with a massive upgrade. The narrative was shared by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
"(New Orleans Pelicans GM Dell Demps) prioritized getting a center so Davis could play more at power forward. The Pelicans were close on trading for Jahlil Okafor and were willing to trade a first-round pick for him, but they couldn't come to terms with Philadelphia. Cousins represents a gamble for sure, but the Pelicans were able to buy low, especially since they were able to not have to trade point guard Jrue Holiday in the deal."
With Cousins out of the trade market, the big question was about the team most often attached to Boogie for the last two years: the Boston Celtics.
The paltry return that the New Orleans Pelicans got would have been matched by the Boston Celtics twice over. They have Jaylen Brown, the 3rd overall pick in last year's draft when Hield went 6th. He is much younger with more upside. The first round pick of the Pelicans, unless they get lucky, is likely lower lottery or even mid-first round (but they still placed top 3 protection on it).
The Boston Celtics hold the Nets pick, which could end up at no.1 (unless they place protection) and definitely in the lottery. There are many questions and Danny Ainge is likely to be criticized because of letting this one slip. Whether that's fair or not, only time will tell.
Ainge will definitely move on from this, unless he already has since reports mentioned that Boston was not even in the running. But the trade for Jimmy Butler could be making progress and after the big one drops, other teams may be more open to changes now.
The Chicago Bulls are known to be very cautious, but they can hardly fail as much as the Kings did. They are already in talks with the Boston Celtics and with the meager package that the Kings got, that might place their (possible) demands in context.
But as Sean Deveney of Sporting News noted, the Celtics have legitimate reasons to hesitate.
"The Bulls are unlikely to make a Butler-to-Boston deal without the inclusion of Brooklyn's pick this year. But there is risk in including that pick for the Celtics," Deveney cautioned. "There are questions about how Butler would fit in Boston. Isaiah Thomas has established himself has the Celtics' marquee player, and Butler would have to be willing to take a secondary role in Boston."
It's basketball déjà vu as there was a supposed rift in the Bulls because Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. While that wasn't proven, it also wasn't debunked.
However, the Cousins trade will place added pressure on Ainge to make a move, and even if he would lose his top asset, the Brooklyn Nets' draft pick. Would he cave in? Perhaps, this time, he should.
