The New Orleans Pelicans will have to evaluate the contracts in the franchise after the end of their season. Among them is the impending contract of big man DeMarcus Cousins, who was a sure-shot to land a five-year max deal, but since his injury, the Pelicans have shown to have a better record without him, allowing Anthony Davis to bloom into his full potential.
If he is indeed allowed to walk into the free agent market, Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum think he could wind up alongside John Wall with the Washington Wizards, as he said at the 34:45 mark of his very own Pull Up podcast.
Transcript via Ryne Nelson of SLAM Magazine:
“I think the argument is whether or not [Nikola Mirotic] is a better fit for that team. And if they decide that that is the case—obviously, playoff success goes into that, what happens in the next round and how far they go in this playoff—will factor in to whether or not they want to spend the $200 million on Boogie, who is obviously going to have other suitors attracted to him.
“No slight against the homie. I think he’s a very, very good player. But you just have to look at the team roster and try to figure out what’s best for that roster moving forward.
“And the other question mark will be: Does AD want him back? If AD wants him back, it doesn’t matter if he’s better for the team or not, that’s what’s going to happen because [Davis] is the franchise, and that team goes as he goes as we’ve seen these last 6 or 7 years.” […]
“I think team success, playoff success, factors in to decision-making with personnel moving forward. Obviously, Jrue Holiday, Rondo, AD will have input on what they decide to do going forward. So that’s something to keep an eye out on in the free agency.
“And if that is the case, Boogie would jump out in to the market as a free agent and be a very hot commodity, and could potentially team up with the Washington Wizards.
“You heard it here first. You heard that here first. You know that Kentucky connection, man. I could see that happening. That’s just something to think about going forward.”
Kentucky connections run deep in today's NBA, as John Calipari-led university has become the hotbed for one-and-dones in recent years, with Davis also being among the Wildcat family.
Yet Cousins' move will largely depend on Davis' willingness to keep pairing with him in the frontcourt, as the front office will likely look to appease him.
A recent report indicates that a max deal is highly unlikely for Cousins, as the Pelicans will have to find a way to retain important cogs on this team like Rajon Rondo and Mirotic.
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