Search Here

The Sacramento Kings surprised many, reportedly dealing DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. Both have agreed in principle and the deal has yet to be made official. But from the looks of it, the NBA trade is as good as done. The deal is expected to be sent to the league Monday which will is likely to be approved.

The NBA trade comes as a surprise considering a couple of days ago, DeMarcus Cousins seemed sure he would sign for a longer and lucrative deal in the Summer, Fox Sports reported. Also, team owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac assured that they were not dealing the all-star center. It turns out that all of this was a cover-up as they worked on how to move Cousins.

Cousins will be joined by Omri Casspi as they head to the Pelicans. In exchange, the Kings got a haul of guards and picks. Dealt were Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway and Tyreke Evans, who will return to the team he last played for in 2009 to 2013 before moving to New Orleans. A 2017 first-round and a second-round pick were also included in the deal, ESPN reported.

It remains to be seen how DeMarcus Cousins will react to the development and on whether he will re-sign at the end of the season. If Cousins’ agent is to be believed, any team who reportedly trades for him has no assurance that “Boogie” will re-sign. However, that could all depend on how the Pelicans perform.

New Orleans is still technically in the hunt for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. If he and Anthony Davis strike it off well, happily playing in tandem with the 23-year-old center could potential sway his mind. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry will try to make that happen though he first needs to address the backcourt situation. With Hield, Evans, and Galloway out, he is left with only Tim Frazier. Quin Cook is an option but he may need more.