NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Believes DeMarcus Cousins Will Re-Sign With Pelicans ‘Per Bleacher Report’
You can officially mark Anthony Davis down as one of the few who believes DeMarcus Cousins will stay with the New Orleans Pelicans after the season, according to Bleacher Report. Cousins, injured earlier this season and out for the year after coming to the Pelicans in a blockbuster trade last season, has been the subject of countless trade and offseason signing rumors.
Davis, speaking to Marc Stein of the New York Times said, “That’s a decision he has to make. I’m pretty confident that he’ll stay. From what I hear, he plans on it. But I’m going to keep selling the dream here. I’ll be very involved—I want him here.” Truthfully, who wouldn’t want Cousins on their team? Well, maybe not the Sacramento Kings but other than them, Cousins has been involved with almost every team in the rumor mill.
During his time with the Pelicans, Davis and Cousins would form one of the best scoring and defensive frontcourts in the NBA. In 48 games this season, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor. Davis, for his efforts, has averaged 28.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2,2 blocks per while shooting 53 percent from the floor.
Together, they were set to lead the Pelicans back to respectability but the injury to Cousins not only derailed it but may have stopped it altogether. With Cousins set to become a free agent at the end of the year, suitors will be lining up at the door. The big question the Pelicans must answer is how much will they be willing to spend on a player coming off an Achilles injury?
The recovery time, according to Forbes, will take up to 10 months before Cousins to get back to playing and that will have him miss at least one to two months of the 2018 season. And that’s if there are no setbacks. Another thing the Pelicans must consider is that most players do not come back the same after an injury.
AD believes Boogie will remain with Pels: “I’m pretty confident that he’ll stay. From what I hear, he plans on it….I want him here.” https://t.co/lZwnsiDqv0 pic.twitter.com/Ot4kVJF68t
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 7, 2018
Davis is saying what needs to be said and how the team, organization, and fans feel. But in the end, the decision will not only come down to health but financial reasons as well. The Pelicans are already on the hook to pay Davis and Jrue Holiday $25 million each, followed by Nikola Mirotic ($12.5 mullion), and Solomon Hill (12.2 million). If they can find a way to squeeze DeMarcus Cousins in there, they may go for it.
