Should the New Orleans Pelicans Take a Chance on DeMarcus Cousins?

The New Orleans Pelicans Should Not Sign DeMarcus Cousins

The Pelicans are a young ascending team that has no use for a 30-year-old center who can’t stay on the floor.

The Pels are in the market for a center, especially if Derrick Favors walks in free agency, but Cousins doesn’t fit the mold of what they need.

If Favors does walk, the Pelicans will need a reliable veteran replacement, as 19-year-old Jaxson Hayes is not ready to take over full time just yet.

Cousins is the exact opposite of reliable, so the Pelicans would be leaving themselves very thin and vulnerable at center.

Even if Favors does re-sign, the Pelicans are probably looking for more rim protection and floor spacing than Cousins can provide, though his 3-point shot continued to improve over his last few seasons.

Cousins will be coming off a third major injury to a different part of his leg, so he’s lost a step or three, and won’t be able to move well laterally or vertically, which doesn’t bode well for his chances on defense.

If the Pelicans want a backup center who can’t play defense, they could just re-sign Jahlil Okafor, who has many of the same deficiencies as Cousins but is at least healthy.

With a very thin crop of free agents in 2020, especially at center, it is possible that some team will offer Cousins a multi-year deal, though that is unlikely. If this is the case, the Pelicans would walk away, as they are not in a position to take that kind of risk.

Cousins doesn’t fit the Pelicans timeline, their roster or maybe even their payroll.

But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take a look.