New Orleans Pelicans Round Table Discussion: State Of The Union

Do the New Orleans Pelicans resign DeMarcus Cousins?

Mark Nilon (@MarkNilon):

From what we saw in the early part of this season, the duo of Davis and Cousins proved to be a success. At the time of Boogies devastating Achilles tear, the Pelicans resided in the Western Conferences sixth seed and had just beaten the seemingly unstoppable Houston Rockets. Based off of what we saw this year, it appears as though New Orleans was on course for something special. With this, it should make both Cousins and the Pelicans eager to get a deal done with one another.

Seth Nefksy (@nef_said): 

If the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks or San Antonio Spurs find a way to get into Boogie talks, sadly, I could see Boogie leave the Pels for those teams. However, outside of those four, none of which have been rumored to be in the mix for Boogie, by the way, no other team seems to be as equipped as the New Orleans Pelicans.

Between the locked up Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday and the monetary benefits of re-signing, the perks of New Orleans outweigh that of any other team. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers have shifted their free agent focus to 2019, and the only other team mentioned in Boogie rumors is the Dallas Mavericks, who lack the star power to be competitive immediately. Therefore the Pels seem like the most realistic option.

Chris Connor (@Impatientbull):

I thought Boogie would return before the injury. I feel stronger about him returning now. Cousins preaches loyalty and was playing the best basketball of his career before injury. There has to be some feeling of unfinished business in his mind.

The franchise and the city will treat him well in recovery, he’ll appreciate that. As for the roster, the Pels just can’t let him walk. Just like with Jrue Holiday last season, there’s nothing they could bring in close to the replacement level of Boogie. Even if he’s 80 percent, the Pelicans should bring him back. The question of at what price is a fair one. But whatever the case the long-term goal is keeping Anthony Davis happy and motivated. That starts with keeping Cousins a Pelican. The Pelicans were soaring before Cousins went down.

With Niko Mirotic in play, some developing talent, and another offseason, the Pelicans could again be scary. But as it always is with NOLA, that’s going to mean being a healthy roster. We have yet to really see that happen.

Joshua Lea (@joshualeaa):

DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis seem to have built a solid relationship playing together as teammates. That alone will play a significant role in the future. The Pelicans will certainly be a top contender to land Boogie. But, with the NBA, who knows?

Next: Should the Pelicans make a coaching change?

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