NBA Trade Deadline Roundup – Dissecting Southwest Division Deals

New Orleans Pelicans:

Trades/Moves:

Pelicans receive:

C/PF –DeMarcus Cousins: 27.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 4.8 APG, 45.3 FG%, 35.2 3PFG%, 77.1 FT%, 1.4 BlkPG, 1.3 StlPG

SF Omri Casspi: 6.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 APG,  46% FG%, 34% 3PFG%, 57.1% FT%

Sacramento Kings receive:

• SG: Buddy Hield
• PG/SG: Tyreke Evans
• SG: Langston Galloway
• 2017 first-round draft pick
• Future second-round pick.

Terrence Jones waived: it was inevitable a frontcourt player would be waived, Jones drew the short straw. Donatas Motiejunas probably lucked out given he fits the up-tempo Gentry offense and can spread the court.

Jarrett Jack was signed to a 10-day contract to fill the roster spot and could be extended through the season if he proves to be a good fit. As per ESPN New Orleans is considering adding veteran point guard Jarrett Jack

King Size Waffling:

Leading up to the trade Kings GM repeatedly said DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t going anywhere and would not only remain with the franchise but the intentions were to grandfather him via the DPE (Designated Player Extension). The DPE was part of the new ratified CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement )between the Board of Governors and the Players Union.  In short, the DPE was developed to reward star players, but more so to give franchises a big advantage in retaining talent.

Therefore it was no surprise Cousins’ intentions was to remain in Sacramento since he had qualified to receive the special DPE of approximately $209 million. In essence, this trade just cost Cousins $30 million!

Divac, who this scribe has previously cited as being inept only served to add fuel to that fire, given this move. If there was a better deal on the table, and regardless if owner Vivek Ranadive was meddling, you don’t pull this trade with 4 days remaining to get a better deal done. In the post-trade presser, Dviac outed Ranadive who insisted any deal include what ‘he’ considered potential superstar prospects. Still, this move only served to punctuate why Divac should not be in his current position.

Long Term:

In a league that has gone small, pairing Cousins with All-Star Anthony Davis offers a modern-day twin towers combo.  The big question is whether Cousins can mesh quickly enough to make a move up the ladder. Currently, the Pelicans sit 11th, three games behind the Denver Nuggets, with  Portland and Sacramento sandwiched between them.

Casspi has long been a favored son in Sacramento who provides great energy and skills off the bench. Unfortunately, he broke his thumb in his Pelicans debut so New Orleans will need to wait to see the variety of assets he can provide off the bench.

Must Read: The Rapid Ascent of Russell Westbrook up All-Time NBA Leader Lists

Certainly ‘Fire and Ice’ could develop into an imposing presence, but the Pelicans will need to retain Jrue Holiday this summer and add depth before they can be considered a Western Conference threat. Neither Cousins or Davis has demonstrated true leadership abilities, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on who assumes that role.

Must Read: If Russell Westbrook battled Kevin Durant in the WWE and UFC

How this trade affects the OKC Thunder:

In his first game, Cousins wasn’t a factor as the smaller Houston Rockets gored the Pelicans 129-99. OKC will get their first look at the twin towers part deux tomorrow. Given the two teams’ current positions in the standings, it’s unlikely they’ll face each other come Spring. After Sunday’s match, barring the Pels capturing the eight seed and both squads pulling off simultaneous upsets OKC won’t need to worry about New Orleans until next season.

Final Grade: A+

You don’t add an All-Star for peanuts and not consider it an absolute steal.