The Pelicans finally gave Anthony Davis help in the form of a blockbuster trade for DeMarcus Cousins
Wow.
This just in, the NBA community has been hit by a nuclear Woj Bomb. Kings superstar center DeMarcus Cousins and swingman Omri Caspi are headed to New Orleans to team up with another supremely talented big man, Anthony Davis.
The Pelicans, according to Woj, are giving up Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and their 2017 1st and 2nd round picks to the Kings.
Wow.
It's been a while since the last superstar trade, and this one lived up to the hype. DeMarcus Cousins has been tangled in trade rumors for what feels like an eternity, so it's quite a numbing feeling now that he truly has been traded.
Now, for the on-court impact. An Anthony Davis-Cousins front court pairing is going to be as fantastic as it sounds. Sure, it's going to take a bit for them to grow comfortable playing around each other, but there is a reason this trade is such a big deal. Cousins and Davis are both unicorn bigs; they can truly do everything on the basketball court. Both players are currently averaging over 27 points and 10 rebounds. They can both knock down threes, protect the rim, corral speedy guys on the perimeter and serve as playmaking bigs.
But yes, Cousins and Davis alone are not enough. That's why the fact that the Pelicans were able to hold onto point guard Jrue Holiday is huge. Holiday, only 26-years-old, is one of the ultimate underrated playmakers that makes all the difference. He is an excellent defender at the point of attack, he's shooting a sparkling 39% from deep and he knows how to run a team.
A core of Holiday, Davis and Cousins, all supremely talented and multi-faceted players under the age of 26, rivals that of any other team in the league.
Is it a bit of a problem that after the trade is finalized, the Pelicans will have 9 roster spots devoted to big men. But the potential to pair these two monsters together with the perfect point guard in Holiday is a massive win for general manager Dell Demps.
The Pelicans will generate enough offense from those three that they will have the luxury of starting defensive minded wings E'Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill. Excellent trade for the Pelicans. This is what you give up first round picks for. Not Omer Asik, like Demps ill-advisedly did in 2015.
Now, to delve into the more depressing side of the deal. The poor Kings are just a mess. General manager Vlade Divac continues to get his pants pulled down in every trade he is a part of. Owner Vivek Ranadive probably still wants to play 4-on-5. Before trading their franchise player, the team was devoid of any other real talent. Scoring forward Rudy Gay will surely opt out of his contract this summer to escape the toxic wasteland. That leaves the Kings' best player to be...Tyreke Evans? Buddy Hield? Darren Collison? Willie Cauley-Stein? I don't know, Help!
On the semi-bright side, I do believe Hield is going to be a quality shooting guard in this league. He has a beautiful stroke in a league where the most important individual skill is the ability to make threes. He is learning on defense and seems very likable. He will obviously never reach Cousins' level in terms of talent, but he is definitely a blue-chipper.
The 2017 1st round pick the Kings are receiving from the Pelicans is an interesting one. That means they will most likely have two top-20 picks in a loaded draft. The Pelicans are currently in the lottery, and it remains to be seen if Boogie's presence will lift the team toward the playoffs. That is obviously the Pelicans' hopes, but Cousins and Davis may need more time to mesh.
Unfortunately, at best this pick will not bring the Kings a player like Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball. The Pelicans are not that horrendous, and their record will definitely improve with Cousins now in the fold. Also, the Kings' own pick is subject to a pick swap with the 76ers, so there is that.
Reports have come out that the market cooled for Cousins, but I have to believe there was a better offer out there than what the Kings just agreed to. Sources said the Suns were involved, so that must have meant Marquisse Chriss and/or Dragan Bender and their 1st round pick was involved. It just seems so unlikely that is the best the Kings could get for a monster two-way center with attitude issues.
Bottom-line, the Pelicans just acquired a superstar center for about 50 cents on the dollar. Well played, Dell. Well played.
This just in, the NBA community has been hit by a nuclear Woj Bomb. Kings superstar center DeMarcus Cousins and swingman Omri Caspi are headed to New Orleans to team up with another supremely talented big man, Anthony Davis.
The Pelicans, according to Woj, are giving up Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and their 2017 1st and 2nd round picks to the Kings.
Wow.
It's been a while since the last superstar trade, and this one lived up to the hype. DeMarcus Cousins has been tangled in trade rumors for what feels like an eternity, so it's quite a numbing feeling now that he truly has been traded.
Now, for the on-court impact. An Anthony Davis-Cousins front court pairing is going to be as fantastic as it sounds. Sure, it's going to take a bit for them to grow comfortable playing around each other, but there is a reason this trade is such a big deal. Cousins and Davis are both unicorn bigs; they can truly do everything on the basketball court. Both players are currently averaging over 27 points and 10 rebounds. They can both knock down threes, protect the rim, corral speedy guys on the perimeter and serve as playmaking bigs.
But yes, Cousins and Davis alone are not enough. That's why the fact that the Pelicans were able to hold onto point guard Jrue Holiday is huge. Holiday, only 26-years-old, is one of the ultimate underrated playmakers that makes all the difference. He is an excellent defender at the point of attack, he's shooting a sparkling 39% from deep and he knows how to run a team.
A core of Holiday, Davis and Cousins, all supremely talented and multi-faceted players under the age of 26, rivals that of any other team in the league.
Is it a bit of a problem that after the trade is finalized, the Pelicans will have 9 roster spots devoted to big men. But the potential to pair these two monsters together with the perfect point guard in Holiday is a massive win for general manager Dell Demps.
The Pelicans will generate enough offense from those three that they will have the luxury of starting defensive minded wings E'Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill. Excellent trade for the Pelicans. This is what you give up first round picks for. Not Omer Asik, like Demps ill-advisedly did in 2015.
Now, to delve into the more depressing side of the deal. The poor Kings are just a mess. General manager Vlade Divac continues to get his pants pulled down in every trade he is a part of. Owner Vivek Ranadive probably still wants to play 4-on-5. Before trading their franchise player, the team was devoid of any other real talent. Scoring forward Rudy Gay will surely opt out of his contract this summer to escape the toxic wasteland. That leaves the Kings' best player to be...Tyreke Evans? Buddy Hield? Darren Collison? Willie Cauley-Stein? I don't know, Help!
On the semi-bright side, I do believe Hield is going to be a quality shooting guard in this league. He has a beautiful stroke in a league where the most important individual skill is the ability to make threes. He is learning on defense and seems very likable. He will obviously never reach Cousins' level in terms of talent, but he is definitely a blue-chipper.
The 2017 1st round pick the Kings are receiving from the Pelicans is an interesting one. That means they will most likely have two top-20 picks in a loaded draft. The Pelicans are currently in the lottery, and it remains to be seen if Boogie's presence will lift the team toward the playoffs. That is obviously the Pelicans' hopes, but Cousins and Davis may need more time to mesh.
Unfortunately, at best this pick will not bring the Kings a player like Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball. The Pelicans are not that horrendous, and their record will definitely improve with Cousins now in the fold. Also, the Kings' own pick is subject to a pick swap with the 76ers, so there is that.
Reports have come out that the market cooled for Cousins, but I have to believe there was a better offer out there than what the Kings just agreed to. Sources said the Suns were involved, so that must have meant Marquisse Chriss and/or Dragan Bender and their 1st round pick was involved. It just seems so unlikely that is the best the Kings could get for a monster two-way center with attitude issues.
Bottom-line, the Pelicans just acquired a superstar center for about 50 cents on the dollar. Well played, Dell. Well played.
Comments
Post a Comment