Fansided

NBA Free Agency 2019: 5 potential destinations for DeMarcus Cousins

By Bryan Toporek

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. 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. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. 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. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – APRIL 9: Solomon Hill #44 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors during the game on April 9, 2019 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – APRIL 9: Solomon Hill #44 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors during the game on April 9, 2019 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. New Orleans Pelicans

Could a reunion be in order between Cousins and the New Orleans Pelicans?

In a Players’ Tribune article this past September, Cousins said “there was never anything negative with the Pelicans” and that he expected to return to New Orleans last summer. However, the Pelicans opted to go in a different direction by signing Julius Randle to a two-year, $18 million deal, which led Cousins to sign with the Warriors.

Since then, the Pelicans overhauled their front office, won the No. 1 pick, traded Anthony Davis for a mammoth haul and drafted Zion Williamson. They’re now poised to enter free agency with more than $30 million in cap space, which could allow them to go after big-name free agents or acquire additional assets by taking back bloated contracts from other teams desperate to shed salary.

If the Pelicans don’t go big-game hunting, bringing Cousins back on a short-term balloon deal could make sense for them. Assuming Williamson will mostly play at the 4, Jahlil Okafor and rookie Jaxson Hayes are their only centers on the roster at the moment.

The Pels may prefer to go after a stretch-5 such as Brook Lopez or Dewayne Dedmon, but Cousins has developed 3-point range over the past few seasons. Pairing him with Williamson would give them one of the NBA’s most physically imposing frontcourts, too.

The Pelicans might prefer to save their cap space for salary dumps, but don’t count out a reunion with Cousins if he can’t find long-term offers on the free-agent market.

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