New Orleans Pelicans: Does a DeMarcus Cousins reunion make sense?

New Orleans Pelicans: What happened to DeMarcus Cousins?

One free agent name that could be under consideration for the New Orleans Pelicans is DeMarcus Cousins.

The Kentucky big man is currently a free agent after being waived by the Houston Rockets. That sounds more damning than it is, since it was a mutual decision on both ends to give Cousins a chance to play for a playoff-contending team until the end of the season.

Cousins played 25 games for the Rockets, averaging about 10 points per game in 20 minutes. His efficiency was atrocious—38 percent from the field—and you had to squint really hard to see shades of the former four-time all-star. So why would New Orleans even be interested in this version of Cousins?

It’s fair to ask that question. After all, social media has been going on all year about how Cousins is trash or washed. Objectively, he is obviously not as good as he once was. The likelihood of him returning to those levels at the age of 30 after multiple significant injuries are slim, if not nonexistent. But the Pelicans would not be bringing Cousins in to go on a late season tear.

This is not the same situation as in 2017 when Cousins was traded to New Orleans during all-star weekend. Back then, he was the Kings’ franchise player and things didn’t work out in Sacramento because of issues on both sides. Cousins was an all-NBA type of player and probably the most dominant big in the league.

That superiority was on full display during Cousins’ stint at the Smoothie King Center. In his first year with the New Orleans Pelicans, he was putting up 24 points a night while dominating on the boards, playmaking for his teammates, and shooting lights out from the perimeter. His scoring, creation, and efficiency further rose in his second year in New Orleans. It seemed like Anthony Davis had the partner he had been yearning for.

Then, Cousins’ world came crashing down on him. Boogie tore his Achilles and underwent season-ending surgery. It was an awful twist in his career, suffering one of the worst injuries in sports right at the time when he was set to get paid. Cousins would have likely been rewarded with a max contract.

Instead, that injury meant that New Orleans had reservations. Then-general manager Dell Demps reportedly offered Cousins a much lower two-year deal that the all-star big was not happy with. Instead, he turned to free agency and found a scarce market. Cousins ended up signing with the Golden State Warriors for minimal money, but he suffered a torn left quadriceps shortly after returning.

After leaving the Warriors without a championship ring, Cousins was then picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers. His Laker career was over before it started. Cousins tore his ACL in the offseason and was ultimately waived. He didn’t play a single game in the 2019-20 season, one that tragically (for him) ended with the purple-and-gold team winning a championship.

It has been a cruel few years for Cousins, going from unending supremacy to incessant woes. Perhaps a homecoming of sorts to New Orleans would be good, both for him and the team.