Life has been hard for DeMarcus Cousins, going down to a torn Achilles injury in the same game his New Orleans Pelicans had taken down the Houston Rockets, who were just starting to hit stride in the regular season.
The Pels made an unexpected push for the postseason, sweeping their way past their first-round opponents in the Portland Trail Blazers, then falling in five games to the Golden State Warriors.
With his team overachieving, there's swirling rumors that he might not be needed in the future, but the big man hasn't been discouraged by the hearsay.
“I know for a fact my teammates want me back there, but you know it’s a business,” Cousins told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Asked if he wants to return to New Orleans, Cousins nodded, but also was aware that things might not go as initially expected.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” said Cousins. “This is my first time in free agency, but I’ve been around this business long enough. I know how things work. I’m not out here trying to hold a grudge or anything like that. I’m going to make the best decision for me, and I believe teams are going to do the same thing.”
Cousins has been solely focused on his recovery from injury, but expects the front office to initiate talks as soon as the July 1 free agent window opens for him.
“I don’t plan on rushing through this process. I’m going to make the absolute best decision for DeMarcus Cousins,” he said. “We’ll see what that is. As of right now, I don’t really know. I can’t answer that. Would I like to go back to New Orleans? I’m very open to that. I love what we created. I love what was created after I went down. I would love to be part of it. But I’m going to do what’s best for me, and I feel they’ll do the same.”
The Pelicans would be hard-pressed to offer Cousins a max extension as initially thought, given their desire to bring back the likes of Rajon Rondo and Nikola Mirotic, who will need raises after their performance this season.
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