Rumors have been swirling around the New Orleans Pelicans for a few weeks. The team is 2.5 games back of the No. 8 spot in the West despite not having much around Anthony Davis. For a while, it sounded like New Orleans had targeted either Jahlil Okafor or Brook Lopez in its quest to get their star big man some help.
But on Sunday, the rumors about a potential Pelicans deal got turned up to 11. The big news was that DeMarcus Cousins was apparently a target for New Orleans, so much so that the Pelicans and the King were engaged in trade talks earlier this week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. It’s an annual tradition that Cousins is at the center of a few rumors, but the thought of him getting paired up with Davis in New Orleans is extra intriguing.
Apparently, Boogie isn’t the only star who the Pelicans targeted. According to Justin Verrier of ESPN, New Orleans would really like to add Paul George to their team before the trade deadline.
Pelicans have made trade inquiries on DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George, per league sources. Talks have progressed further on Cousins.
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) February 19, 2017
The Pelicans have made virtually everyone available, including Buddy Hield, to pair Anthony Davis with a fellow All-Star, sources said.
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) February 19, 2017
It’s not a huge surprise that nothing seems to have happened on the George to New Orleans front. Nothing has suggested that Indiana would be willing to part with its franchise player, especially because the Pelicans don’t exactly possess the assets to make this kind of a blockbuster deal a reality.
Still, New Orleans deserves some credit for trying to do something to get Davis some help. The team’s highest-paid players after Davis are Jrue Holiday (free agent after this season), Solomon Hill (averaging 6.7 points per game), and Tyreke Evans (also a free agent at the end of the year). It would be a shame if Davis’ prime years in New Orleans are spent competing for a seven or eight seed in the postseason, and it seems like the Pelicans’ front office understands that the only way to move up in the conference is to pair Davis with another star.
