By: Kylan Watson
At the end of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) All-Star Game, DeMarcus Cousin’s found out, that he had been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. When the All-Star game started last night, Cousin’s was a member of the Sacramento Kings. He is the best big man in the league. Cousin’s also was not happy with the front office of the Sacramento Kings. Rumors were running rampant throughout the week that before the trade deadline on Thursday, February 23, 2017, Cousins would be traded. Cousins will now be reunited with his former teammate and former University of Kentucky Wildcat, Anthony Davis. This tandem maybe the best big man duo in the league right now, and immediately makes the Pelicans playoff contenders. However, this move will not have a significant impact on the NBA power landscape until next year.
Pulling off this trade was a significant accomplishment by Pelicans General Manager, Dell Demps. The Pelicans were looking for a big man to team up with Davis throughout the month. Davis has proven that he is a top five player in the NBA. Davis is a piece the Pelicans need to build around, in order to become championship contenders. The Pelicans not only received Cousins in the trade, but also obtained Power Forward Omri Casspi. Fans of the Pelicans should be celebrating, because they had to give up very little for Cousins. The Kings on the other hand are the clear losers in this trade. The Kings received Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and the Pelicans 2017 first round pick and a 2017 second round pick.
Cousins and Davis are two big men that are in the prime of their careers, and this big man duo maybe the best this league has ever seen, since David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Davis is 23-years-old and is a physical and athletic freak. Davis has been having a monster season with nothing around him; Davis has been averaging 27.7 points per game, Davis has grabbed 11.7 rebounds per game, and has been averaging 2.5 blocks per game. Imagine how much better those numbers will be, with a running mate like Cousins. This duo will definitely change the NBA power structure in the Western Conference. Now the Pelicans have gone from the second worst team in the league to a playoff contender. The Pelicans are four games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference. However, even with the addition of Cousins, the Pelicans are not expected to go far in the playoffs. The Pelicans would have to face the Warriors or the Spurs in the first round. This trade while significant will not have an immediate effect on the league, until next year, if the Pelicans can extend Cousins, and find players who can shoot. The Pelicans still have a lot of work to do, but they are a better team today than they were yesterday.
