Fansided

Carmelo Anthony won’t be easily recruited by DeMarcus Cousins and Pelicans

By Nam Tran

LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 11: DeMarcus Cousinsa and Carmelo Anthony of the USA National Team participate in a minicamp at UNLV on August 11, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 11: DeMarcus Cousinsa and Carmelo Anthony of the USA National Team participate in a minicamp at UNLV on August 11, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

DeMarcus Cousins has hinted that he is trying to recruit Carmelo Anthony, but Anthony won’t waive his no-trade clause for Cousins’ Pelicans.

Over the past couple months, the best teams from the Western Conference have gotten stronger. The Houston Rockets got Chris Paul, the Oklahoma City Thunder got Paul George, and the Golden State Warriors are still the Golden State Warriors. It is a tough conference to compete in and the New Orleans Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins knows this.

Which is why Cousins has been trying to recruit the top players on the trade block right now — one whom happens to be the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony.

Speaking to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Cousins said that the Pelicans want to win and they need “as much talent” as they can get. Adding:

"I’ve reached out to everybody. I mean, I don’t want to throw names out there, but some of the biggest names that are on the block right now I’ve reached out to. It’s just about getting better."

Cousins also hinted on Twitter that he had reached out to Anthony by replying to a tweet about the potential scariness of an Anthony-Cousins-Anthony Davis team.

Unfortunately for Pelicans fans, the New York Post reports Anthony is not willing to waive his no-trade clause for New Orleans. He is only willing to be traded to either the Houston Rockets or Cleveland Cavaliers, with Houston being the preferred destination.

If Anthony does change his mind and decides to join New Orleans, he can offer them another reliable scoring option who can make tough shots in crunch time. Last season, Anthony played 74 games and averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds a game.

The New Orleans Pelicans need another star to compete in the Western Conference. They currently have two All-Star big men in Cousins and Davis, but this isn’t enough to compete with teams like the Warriors, who have multiple star players on their roster.

Next: Ranking the best and worst scorers in every offensive role

Last season, the Pelicans failed to make the playoffs, ending the 2016-17 season with a 34-48 record.

Home/New Orleans Pelicans