NBA News: Key Members of the New Orleans Pelicans Make It Known That They Want DeMarcus Cousins to Re-Sign
Cousins played 48 games for the Pelicans this season before tearing his Achilles in January
Basketball can be a cruel game sometimes. In the midst of what was arguably the best season in his career, New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins tore his Achilles and went on to miss the remainder of this year.
For Cousins, the injury is particularly devastating in a few ways.
First off, Cousins has never played in a postseason game, and had he stayed healthy, there's a good chance that he would have made his playoff debut last month.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Secondly, this was the last year of Cousins' current contract, meaning that he is heading to free agency with that injury looming over potential contract negotiations.
Lastly, the specific type of injury Cousins sustained is one that is notoriously difficult to fully recover from. Even when players are deemed healthy enough to play again after suffering this particular injury, they may struggle to produce at the same level they did pre-injury.
To put it simply, the injury truly was costly for Cousins, but if there is a silver lining in all of this for him, it's that the Pelicans are now making it clear that he has a home with the franchise if he chooses to re-sign.
Per a recent report from Nola.com's Christopher Dabe, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said that he would love to have Cousins on the team again.
Pelicans forward Nikola Mirotic commented on Cousins' free agent status as well, indicating that he believes that the team will be better if Cousins is brought back.
It's not just the head coach or the players that are onboard with the idea of bringing back Cousins either.
Speaking during the team's end-of-the-season press conference, Pelicans general manager Dell Demps said that "in a perfect world," they would like to bring back both Cousins and free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, according to a separate report from Nola.com's William Guillory.
Demps even acknowledged that recovering from the injury will be a tough task for Cousins, but he remains confident that the 27-year-old big man will indeed be able to get back to where he was as a player.
Over the years, Cousins has developed a reputation for being a player who's hard to manage and coach due in part to his tendency to let his temper get the best of him.
Clearly, though, the Pelicans are looking past that, and they are going by what they know about Cousins personally.
There's still no guarantee that Cousins will return to the Pelicans as there will likely be other teams out there who will be willing to risk handing a big contract to the big man in the hopes that he will be able to recover well from his injury, but the one thing that is clear is that there is a place reserved for Cousins in New Orleans.
Cousins has more than just a team to return to in New Orleans if he chooses; he has a family there waiting for him.
More news about the latest NBA free agency rumblings should be made available soon.
