Demarcus Cousins optimistic that Pelicans will not trade him
What's the story?
Demarcus Cousins believes that the New Orleans Pelicans will not be trading him before the trade deadline.
In case you didn't know...
The New Orleans Pelicans acquired Demarcus Cousins last season from the Sacremento Kings just after the All-Star game in a trade that included Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a first and second round pick in 2017.
The Heart of The Matter...
According to Marc. J Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated, the New Orleans Pelicans's center Demarcus Cousins is of the belief that he would not be traded by the Pels before the trade deadline, which is Feb 8th. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on Wednesday on The Dan Le Batard Show that New Orleans wants to re-sign Cousins during the offseason.
Demarcus Cousins along with Anthony Davis have formed a frontcourt the likes of which we haven't seen since the big-man duo of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Cousins is on-route to complete one whole season with the Pelicans and has been playing one of the best basketball of his career. In 44 appearances, Cousins is averaging 25.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per game this season.
With Cousins and Davis leading the way, the Pelicans are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 7th spot in the Western Conference with a record of 23-21, which gives them a half-game lead over the 9th place Denver Nuggets. If Cousins continues to play in similar fashion, the Pelicans are on track to make the playoffs since 2014-15.
After being named an All-Star on Thursday, Cousins has now been named an All-Star for the past 4 seasons.
What's next?
The Pelicans will look to hold onto the 7th spot to secure their place in the Playoffs as they host the Memphis Grizzlies (16-28).
Author's take
If the Pelicans have no intention of trading one of the big men, they need to find a way of surrounding this dynamic duo with supporting cast if they want Playoffs success in the coming future.