NBA Trade Rumors: The Different Reasons Why It Makes Sense for the New Orleans Pelicans to Keep DeMarcus Cousins
Cousins' name has been popping up in the rumor mill recently, though no trade seems anywhere close to happening
Expectations were fairly high when the New Orleans Pelicans traded for center DeMarcus Cousins last season, and thus far, it seems safe to say that the big man has delivered.
Cousins has been a force in the frontcourt this season as he is averaging 26 points per game to go with 12.5 boards and a healthy complement of assists. He also currently sports a .541 effective field goal percentage, as seen in Basketball Reference, and that would blow away his previous career-high if he is able to maintain it.
To put it simply, Cousins has been everything the Pelicans could have hoped for when they traded for him initially, and yet, there are still trade rumblings surrounding the 27-year-old.
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Perhaps that cannot be helped.
Despite Cousins' impressive play, the Pelicans are barely over .500 for this season and have a not-so-solid grip on the eighth and final Western Conference playoff seed.
Cousins is also set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, which means he can opt to sign with another team in the summer and the Pelicans cannot really do anything about that.
The case for the Pelicans trading Cousins is that even if they make the playoffs, they are likely going to be eliminated right away anyway, so why not move him now and get future assets in return?
Still, just as there are reasons for the Pelicans to consider trading Cousins, there are also arguments for them to hold on to him for as long as they can.
Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders and Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype recently talked about the chances of Cousins getting traded during a recent edition of the "HoopsHype Podcast." During that conversation, Scotto pointed out that Cousins gives the Pelicans a better chance of accomplishing their main goal for this season – making the postseason – and so trading him now does not really help them in that regard.
Scotto also noted that the Pelicans feel they have an advantage against most teams because they have both Cousins and fellow All-Star big man Anthony Davis on the roster. They would give that advantage up if they traded Cousins.
Kennedy also mentioned that with Davis recently indicating that he knows that he needs to play together with other All-Stars to contend, the Pelicans moving Cousins now could be perceived by their franchise player as a bad move. Such a move could also lead to Davis eyeing a potential transfer to a different team.
The reality for the Pelicans is that they probably are not going to win the NBA title with this current group, but even so, accomplishing a goal like reaching the postseason is still something to strive for.
Yes, dealing Cousins could position the Pelicans better in the long run, but there is a chance that future could contain a Davis who wants out.
Barely making the postseason is typically not an ideal outcome for any team, but for this year's Pelicans, getting there while being led by Cousins and Davis may be the best case scenario and one that could have positive, long-term effects too.
