NOTE: The piece below was published prior to DeMarcus Cousins reportedly suffering a tear of his left Achilles tendon on Friday night against the Rockets. Cousins will miss the rest of the 2017-18 season with a recovery time of six to 10 months, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
NEW YORK — As the Pelicans approach the one-year anniversary of the DeMarcus Cousins blockbuster trade, it’s all quiet on the Cousins trade front. Yup, just like last season, when it also was deathly quiet on the Cousins trade front after the Kings told Cousins they were intent on keeping him and re-signing him to a maximum contract north of $200 million.
Here’s the difference a year later: Unless something drastic happens between now and the trade deadline, Cousins will remain in New Orleans for the rest of the season and cash in this summer when he enters free agency with a deal in excess of $185 million.
It’s not just that more than a few teams are still leery of making a move to bring in Cousins, despite the fact that he produces monster games that haven’t been seen since the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar almost 50 years ago. As one NBA Eastern Conference personnel man told me, even with Cousins’ prodigious scoring efforts, he’s "the most overrated player in the league. There’s no question about his talent, but he’s a big-time mistake player and an obvious cancer."
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During his Pelicans tenure, Cousins hasn’t had the explosive tirades we saw during his time in Sacramento. But he still has some bully in him when it comes to his "disrespectful" treatment of coaches and teammates, sources told Sporting News. Those, along with his notable playing deficiencies, have moved coach Alvin Gentry to privately talk of wanting to trade his second-best player, next to Anthony Davis.
Gentry downplayed any such talk during the Pelicans’ recent East Coast trip, which included a stop in Madison Square Garden, where Davis went for 48 in an overtime win over the Knicks.
"So far, it’s worked out about the way we thought it would, but we still have to continue to figure out how to place everyone around Anthony and DeMarcus," Gentry told Sporting News. "We’ve played good basketball, but we’re very capable of playing a lot better than we’ve played."
Even with Cousins?
"What people mistake a lot is that the emotions he brings, sometimes it’s because he really wants to win and he doesn’t like the fact that he hasn’t been to the playoffs," Gentry said. "I think he now sees he can win here. He’s been great."
Gentry is on the final season of his contract and probably needs to make the playoffs to keep his job. But don’t forget that his boss, general manager Dell Demps, is also in the same boat. Although there is speculation that Demps will save his job if this team makes the playoffs for the first time since 2015, New Orleans' only trip to the postseason since 2006, that might not be the case.
"Don’t forget what happened to Monty Williams," said one NBA executive.
Williams coached the 2015 Pelicans to the playoffs, where as the No. 8 seed they were swept by the Warriors, the eventual NBA champions. All signs pointed to him keeping his job. But then he was fired, leading to Gentry’s hiring. For now, with this team in position to make the postseason, indications are that Demps is all about standing pat and putting up with whatever bad stuff Cousins brings to the party.
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— Jason Kidd’s firing in Milwaukee has opened what is considered a plum job, mainly because most coaches would run to the Bucks to coach Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 23-year-old with "future MVP" written all over him. But talking to several NBA execs, they’re also quick to point out that the Bucks aren’t exactly run like the Spurs.
Not long before Kidd’s dismissal, Bucks management showed Kidd a video where it made recommendations as to how the Bucks should play to win a championship. According to sources familiar with what happened in the meeting, Kidd had them stop the video and asked, "How many people in this room have won a championship? How any of you know what it takes to win in the NBA?"
Instead of considering those legitimate points, Kidd’s bosses saw his reaction as arrogant and dismissive. That wasn’t the first time, either. The Bucks’ Wes Edens and Marc Lasry, closing in on their four-year anniversary of owning the team, are not always on the same page. And with too many people in the front office who try to have input in basketball decisions, those are the kinds of issues that will stop some prospective coaching candidates dead in their tracks.
We’ll see how it impacts someone like former Pels coach Monty Williams, who has been mentioned for the job and presently works in the Spurs’ front office.
MORE: 10 coaching candidates to replace Kidd in Milwaukee
— It’s looking as if George Hill will get his wish to get out of Sacramento and join the Cavs. Channing Frye would be part of the deal, along with Iman Shumpert and a second-round pick. The Kings would also like to move Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson.
Hill went to Sacramento last summer as a free agent for all the wrong reasons. He got his money — $19 million this season and $20 million more in guaranteed salary over the next two seasons — but he hooked up with a team that had no chance of getting a playoff berth when he had a chance to go to a potential playoff team in Minnesota. Within the Timberwolves, Hill was viewed as their second choice, after Kyle Lowry, who opted to return to Toronto.
If Lowry, Hill and the third option, Jeff Teague, all turned down the Wolves, Minnesota was hopeful of landing Kyrie Irving in a trade. Because of his close relationship with Jimmy Butler, Irving had identified Minnesota as a preferred destination before the Cavs sent him to Boston.
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— Hill will help the Cavs’ defense and give them another shooter. Despite what’s transpired in Sacramento, he’s also viewed as a pro’s pro when it comes to leadership and setting a great example in the locker room. Once they get Hill, the Cavs will try to make another move or two because that’s how owner Dan Gilbert rolls, as he attempts to keep LeBron James past this season by giving him a team that can win the East for the fourth consecutive season.
This is a poor defensive team in all areas, but especially when it comes to rim protection. But it’s no lock that in the end the Clippers end up trading DeAndre Jordan to Cleveland, LA sources say. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has not given the order to blow up the team to completely rebuild.
If Jordan remains in LA, the Cavs might then turn to Phoenix’s Tyson Chandler or Chicago’s Robin Lopez to address their lack of size and shot-blocking in the middle. Both are available.
Listen to Mitch Lawrence on SiriusXM NBA Radio on The Starting Lineup, Above The Rim, NBA Today and NBA Weekend. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Lawrence.
