Pelicans Have Internally Discussed Offering DeMarcus Cousins Short-Term Deal

[AusPel]

The New Orleans Pelicans have internally discussed offering DeMarcus Cousins a shorter team deal for less than the full max, according to sources.

The Pelicans could offer a two- or three-year deal as Cousins recovers from a torn Achilles.

There will only be a small handful of teams with max cap space this offseason and most won't want to pursue Cousins at a max level.

The Pelicans have leverage over Cousins due to this fact, as well as how well they've played without him.

New Orleans could work out a sign-and-trade with Cousins, though it is difficult to find a logical partner.

I like this strategy, question is what effect will this have on Cousins state of mind

Wonder how this info got leaked as well

[Tinman]

I like this strategy, question is what effect will this have on Cousins state of mind

Wonder how this info got leaked as well

The proverbial "Sources close to" or "Sources within". Like swinging at a hologram .

[luckyman]

Don't believe it and don't like it.

[Taker597]

If it was a 1 year deal as he will be still recovering going into the season and play very limited next year. I can see it giving him a 1 year deal with a solid raise before giving him a max.

That is probably best for both parties. Bring Cousins value up. We can make moves for another year and max him next year.

But offer him a 2-3 years... Nahhhhhhh. I feel it's gonna be a 1 year or 5 year Max.

[Tinman]

If it was a 1 year deal as he will be still recovering going into the season and play very limited next year. I can see it giving him a 1 year deal with a solid raise before giving him a max.

That is probably best for both parties. Bring Cousins value up. We can make moves for another year and max him next year.

But offer him a 2-3 years... Nahhhhhhh. I feel it's gonna be a 1 year or 5 year Max.

I don't follow the logic of a 1yr deal at all.

[msw2024]

This is a double edge sword for me. I really want Boogie to be here long term, but I understand being hesitant in offering Max deal after a bad injury like this. I feel like this is just a negotiating tactic. We will end up offering a 3-4 year close to max deal in the end in my opinion.

[Tinman]

This is a double edge sword for me. I really want Boogie to be here long term, but I understand being hesitant in offering Max deal after a bad injury like this. I feel like this is just a negotiating tactic. We will end up offering a 3-4 year close to max deal in the end in my opinion.

I kinda like the 3yr 25-28 mill concept. Would actually like 2yr better, I think. If things are going as expected, then re-sign. If not, trade piece. Boogies peeps can't possibly expect a max/full length deal.

[kidjock24]

The source is Boogie's agent who wants to drive up interest in his client. Dell wouldn't be worth his salt if he didnt start negotiations with a 3 year deal. I swear ESPN only writes articles to rain on our team when our morale is high. Boogie's agent can and will get a full 5 year max deal. Too many teams out here with cap space and not enough good players.

The curious thing is Zach spent all last year and earlier this year saying how the AD + Boogie lineup would be scary, it WAS, and NOW we have to trade Boogie? That doesn't make sense.

[stormcenter]

Actually per the article I read there are not many teams out there with the cap space to offer Cousins a max deal. That being said I can totally understand and respect the Pelicans hesitation to offer
him a max deal. He can say and feel like he'll be back 100% but unfortunately sometimes the body doesn't listen or cooperate.

The source is Boogie's agent who wants to drive up interest in his client. Dell wouldn't be worth his salt if he didnt start negotiations with a 3 year deal. I swear ESPN only writes articles to rain on our team when our morale is high. Boogie's agent can and will get a full 5 year max deal. Too many teams out here with cap space and not enough good players.

The curious thing is Zach spent all last year and earlier this year saying how the AD + Boogie lineup would be scary, it WAS, and NOW we have to trade Boogie? That doesn't make sense.

[Tinman]

Actually per the article I read there are not many teams out there with the cap space to offer Cousins a max deal. That being said I can totally understand and respect the Pelicans hesitation to offer
him a max deal. He can say and feel like he'll be back 100% but unfortunately sometimes the body doesn't listen or cooperate.

Unfortunately this injury doesn't give a rats arse what the brain thinks. Possibly the toughest injury to recover from. Especially for a 270lber

[kinglio21093]

I feel like the Pelicans HAVE to bring it up and try to negotiate first. I'm sure Boogie realizes this is a business and that his value took a dramatic hit with this injury. The Pels aren't the only team that is going to offer him less than the max.

With that being said, I would bring him back at the max. I'm pretty aware of the situation, but as the smallest market in the league, we need to do anything and everything to keep our heads above water.

[N.O.Bronco]

The source is Boogie's agent who wants to drive up interest in his client. Dell wouldn't be worth his salt if he didnt start negotiations with a 3 year deal. I swear ESPN only writes articles to rain on our team when our morale is high. Boogie's agent can and will get a full 5 year max deal. Too many teams out here with cap space and not enough good players.

The curious thing is Zach spent all last year and earlier this year saying how the AD + Boogie lineup would be scary, it WAS, and NOW we have to trade Boogie? That doesn't make sense.

Lowe points out that there are actually very few teams with max space this offseason that will be in the market for a player like Boogie. Basically LA and maybe Dallas.

I think why Lowe is waffling is the same reason everyone else is. This team looks incredible without him and it is a lot of money to tie up in a guy that you don’t know if he will ever be even half of what he was. Or if the best version of Boogie/Davis can be as good as the best realistic version of Davis as center.

Is Rondo, Jrue, Moore/mid-level FA, Davis, Boogie after an achilles tear better or synergestic than, say, Rondo, Jrue, Otto Porter, Mirotic, Davis by sign and trading Cousins to Washington?

It’s no longer an easy question. Especially if you throw Cousins personality into the pot of not being offered a full max anymore.

I still lean towards Cousins, but I get the waffling.

[Topdawg26]

This Boogie leaving things is exhausting. I hope he takes maybe less than max only to keep Rondo. Other than that I’m great with Rondo, Holiday, Moore, AD, and Boogie with a scoring combo guard (hopefully Frank Jackson), Hill or Miller, and Mirotic off the bench next year in the playoffs.

[NMThreeMVP]

Boogie's agent has multiple clients (including Boogie's brother) that have signed deals with Dallas. Whether the Dallas interest ends up being real or not, the agent has a legit partner that will have an interest in driving up the cost for the Pels. The only question will be number of years on the deal. Boogie will get close to max money. Best case scenario for the Pelicans is a 2 year deal with a player option for the 3rd year. But it'll be at max money, or something really really close like the Jrue deal.

[6warddude]

Magic Johnson may be the one to offer boogie the max just to get a big name to the Lakers if Paul George don't go there...

[Silver Nail]

Pels will tell his agent to test market and we will destroy their
best offer

[Taker597]

I don't follow the logic of a 1yr deal at all.

I don't follow the logic of Boogie taking a huge paycut on 2-3 year deal unless he has an opt out class or voids if reach certain parameters. Either way... He'll probably sign a 1 +1 with a player clause. He'll essentially be a one year deal at probably 20+ million a year. He got to get his best value. He won't have many suitors for a Max contract after his injury at 27 years old. I would be surprised if he had any with a desirable franchise. Being locked in a non-max contract for 2-3 years in what should be his prime is a terrible move.

[PelsFan2313]

I don't follow the logic of Boogie taking a huge paycut on 2-3 year deal unless he has an opt out class or voids if reach certain parameters. Either way... He'll probably sign a 1 +1 with a player clause. He'll essentially be a one year deal at probably 20+ million a year. He got to get his best value. He won't have many suitors for a Max contract after his injury at 27 years old. I would be surprised if he had any with a desirable franchise. Being locked in a non-max contract for 2-3 years in what should be his prime is a terrible move.

A- He's getting the max. It's Dell. The "compromise" is a shorter deal in the form of a 2+1, which is still beneficial to Boogie for the following reasons:
B- 2+1 allows him to enter free agency at the same time as AD.
C- 2+1 opens up elgibility for a max as a 10-year veteran, which is more lucrative than any max he can sign right now.

[Mythrol]

The Pelicans have NOT discussed giving Cousins a 1 year deal. Lowe was specifically vague because just like every national writer they are pushing agendas. Lowe usually less than others but the media has had a very consistent line with not knowing what's going on with the Pels for years.

What is short term deal? Is giving Cousins a deal that runs the length of AD's considered short term? Maybe by some but it is the most logical deal for Cousins so he can be a free agent at the same time as AD, unless he is willing to sign the full max already.

Here's something everyone should keep in mind: Are they national media writing a speculation piece? If yes, ignore.

[Tinman]

I don't follow the logic of Boogie taking a huge paycut on 2-3 year deal unless he has an opt out class or voids if reach certain parameters. Either way... He'll probably sign a 1 +1 with a player clause. He'll essentially be a one year deal at probably 20+ million a year. He got to get his best value. He won't have many suitors for a Max contract after his injury at 27 years old. I would be surprised if he had any with a desirable franchise. Being locked in a non-max contract for 2-3 years in what should be his prime is a terrible move.

Where's the large pay cut? 28 mill is NOT a large pay cut . It is NOT our max, but it is very close to what other teams can offer him. Boogie doesn't hold the cards here! We do. We could've offered him 34mill. NO WAY ! So, if another team wants to offer him max (30 mill), then So be it. To think Boogie has the upper hand is specious logic. Nobody is going to offer him a 4yr deal at max $$$ this year.

[kidjock24]

The Pelicans have NOT discussed giving Cousins a 1 year deal. Lowe was specifically vague because just like every national writer they are pushing agendas. Lowe usually less than others but the media has had a very consistent line with not knowing what's going on with the Pels for years.

Here's something everyone should keep in mind: Are they national media writing a speculation piece? If yes, ignore.

SO much this!!!! This is obviously an agent planted story cuz this is so anti what Lowe has been writing/tweeting all year.

[DefensiveMind]

It’s pretty obvious that a 1+1 works for everyone involved. Boogie can recoup what he lost from Sacramento, give himself security during his comeback, and be set to hit free agency with AD in two years time. He will be 29/30 and there will still be market for him...

Pels should not haggle dollar amount. Only years, which shouldn’t be a big deal, anyway given Boogies most likely reluctance to wanna be here should AD walk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mythrol]

SO much this!!!! This is obviously an agent planted story cuz this is so anti what Lowe has been writing/tweeting all year.

I don't even think it's Cousin's agent. We will offer whatever to keep Cousins. If Cousins wants 3 years, he will get that. If he wants 5, he will get that. I think it's just the national media still cannot understand what the Pelicans are doing or how they built their team through NOT using 1st round draft picks so they speculate the worst for the team consistently.

The team had Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, and Jrue Holiday and was predicted to win 36 games. The entirety of ESPN's staff predicted us to lose to Portland in the 1st round. Now they write about how we don't need Cousins, should Sign and Trade Cousins, or just let him walk if the price gets too high.

To say they are clueless is beyond generous. You must have superstar talent if you want to compete for titles. Cousins is a superstar, injury or not. He will be kept.

[GuardianAngel25]

The source is Boogie's agent who wants to drive up interest in his client. Dell wouldn't be worth his salt if he didnt start negotiations with a 3 year deal. I swear ESPN only writes articles to rain on our team when our morale is high. Boogie's agent can and will get a full 5 year max deal. Too many teams out here with cap space and not enough good players.

The curious thing is Zach spent all last year and earlier this year saying how the AD + Boogie lineup would be scary, it WAS, and NOW we have to trade Boogie? That doesn't make sense.

Exactly we would be fools to not actually negotiate a deal and start off with less years. Ultimately we will have to pony up and likely max him but you never know. I just don't see anyway we get him for a discount when you have a team like the Wizards out there who will be desperate to improve and keep that team together. IMO the Wizards are the perfect fit for Boogie and would instantly be the best team in the East imo. I just don't think he goes anywhere outside of Nola as long as we match whatever offer he gets. He has stated in the past how much loyalty means to him. I think he's smart enough to know he won't get that in a big market and will be torn apart by the media the second some adversity hits and it will. We showed our loyalty to Jrue and he rewarded us in return signing and living up to his deal. Now Boogie gets to see that which imo matters to him a lot. I think Gentry is the best coach in the NBA for a personality like Boogie and Dell is up there as a GM as well.

[N.O.Bronco]

If it’s not Cousins agent leaking this, than it suggests someone Lowe knows within the organization.

Either way the negotiations appear very real. And it seems Demps is not willing to just blindly throw money at Cousins. Hand him a check and let him fill it in.

And for people that doubt Lowe, he has been one of the few people that have garnered insider info in the past. He was the one that broke the story about Demps being handcuffed by Loomis the other year and about Demps over-valuation of Ryan Anderson that led to us failing to get anything in a trade for him.