DeMarcus Cousins on learning about Pelicans trade after All-Star Game
Just as he was getting ready to enter his prime, DeMarcus Cousins saw himself traded midway through the 2017 season. Years later, the former All-Star reflects on how he felt as the whole situation unfolded.
Recently, Cousins was a guest on Paul George's "Podcast P" show. They got to discussing an array of topics, including when the Sacramento Kings decided to move on from him.
The Kings drafted Cousins fifth overall in 2010 following an impressive run with Kentucky. While there were some problems off the court, the young big man blossomed into a star-level center quickly.
Midway through his seventh season with the franchise, the Kings decided to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. When talking about the ordeal, Cousins told George he felt embarrassed in the moment because he had no clue what was going on.
"I felt stupid as hell. It was like one of them situation where I felt like everybody knew what was going on except me, I was just like damn what just happened? That shit was embarrassing as hell," Cousins said.
During his time with the Kings, Cousins was a three-time All-Star and averaged 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
How did DeMarcus Cousins perform after being traded from the Sacramento Kings?
Following his departure from the Sacramento Kings, Cousins still thrived as an All-Star-level talent with New Orleans Pelicans. He joined forces with Anthony Davis, and the two formed one of the greatest frontcourt pairings the league has ever seen.
As two bigs who could do just about everything on the floor, the Pelicans were a tough team to cover. Davis was a young emerging superstar at the time, and playing alongside Cousins allowed the Pelicans to pick apart defenses in a variety of ways.
Sadly for DeMarcus Cousins and the Pelicans, this lethal duo did not share the floor together long. Cousins would end up playing just 48 games in the 2018 season as he battled injuries. Following his lone full season with the franchise, he entered free agency. That offseason, the front office made the decision not to re-sign him.
After fielding minimal offers in the open market, Cousins would end up signing with the Golden State Warriors on a small contract. He'd play just one season there before suffering an ACL injury that would sideline him for a full year.
DeMarcus Cousins would return eventually, but only for a handful of short stints. Some of his stops included the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets. These days, the former All-Star has accepted that his time in the NBA has come to an end. Now, he's focused on keeping his basketball career alive by playing overseas.