Back in the 2016-17 season, the New Orleans Pelicans traded for superstar center DeMarcus Cousins, forming a devastating duo with Anthony Davis.
Sadly, the two didn't get to spend much time on the court together. After trading for Cousins at the All-Star break, the Pelicans still didn't find their way into the playoffs. The next season a torn Achilles ended Cousins' year prematurely.
Davis guided the Pelicans to the playoffs that year. Thanks to a fantastic effort by Davis and Jrue Holiday along with help from Nikola Mirotic, Rajon Rondo and others, New Orleans even won a playoff series by sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers.
That was the end of Cousins' time in New Orleans, as the center signed with the Golden State Warriors on a cheap deal last offseason.
A reunion with Anthony Davis could be in store, though, after Davis said last year he's hoping to get a chance to play with Boogie again.
The Pelicans traded Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers to pair him with LeBron James. The Lakers sent the No. 4 pick, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and more draft picks to the Pelicans in the deal, leaving the roster rather barren outside of the two superstars.
Los Angeles is hoping to create max cap space to chase another star, but right now that space isn't there. The Lakers could pivot to going after a lower-tier star or even multiple role players.
Cousins could be that lower-tier star, but he'll likely be paid like a role player. After putting up solid numbers with the Warriors upon his return from the Achilles injury, Cousins found himself injured again late in the playoffs. Although he returned for the NBA Finals, Cousins clearly wasn't at full strength.
The situation isn't nearly as bad for him this offseason as it was last offseason, but there's likely no team that will want to sign him to a big deal. In fact, he could be in line for another one-year deal. But this time he'll have an entire season to show he's healthy and deserving of another big contract.
Why not go to Los Angeles for that? He could sign a relatively cheap one-year contract, hoping to prove his worth again. It helps Cousins to sign with a team with other stars, as he wouldn't have to carry the entire burden.
Meanwhile, it's a move that would make sense for the Lakers. They could pick up one of the best centers in the NBA without giving him “best center in the NBA” money. They could then use the leftover money to fill out the rest of the roster with solid role players, giving them more depth than if they used all the cap space on another star.
A reunion of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins would mean the Lakers would immediately have one of the best big-man duos in the NBA to pair with LeBron James, which is a fantastic start to build around. Add shooters and it would be nearly impossible to stop that offense, giving Los Angeles a chance to contend for a championship again in a wide-open NBA.
This is a potential win-win-win situation. Davis and James get their win with a good shot at a championship run. Cousins gets his win with the potential title run and a shot at a big contract. And I get my win for mediating the entire thing (shoutout to Michael Scott).
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