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UPDATE: Shams Charania of The Vertical reports that the Kings will send forward Omri Casspi to the Pelicans as well.
Sacramento is sending forward Omri Casspi to New Orleans in DeMarcus Cousins trade, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2017
UPDATE No. 2: David Aldridge of TNT reports that the Pelicans will also send the Kings their first round pick in 2019 as part of the deal.
Stunning acquisition for New Orleans, which will send its first-round picks in 2017 and 2019 along with players (Hield, Evans +) for Cousins
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 20, 2017
UPDATE No. 3: Bobby Marks of The Vertical reports that the Kings still need to waive or trade additional players to complete the deal.
Sacramento still has some roster juggling to do before completing this trade. Will need to waive (or trade) an additional player.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 20, 2017
UPDATE No. 4: Aldridge has corrected his report that originally suggested that the Kings would receive a 2019 draft pick from the Pelicans.
Correction: the Kings will get a 2017 1st/2017 2nd along with Hield, Evans, etc., for Cousins. Sac originally asked for 2019 1st; NO balked.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) February 20, 2017
Original story follows:
The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, via trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Sacramento has agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 20, 2017
Wojnarowski adds that the trade is centered around rookie guard Buddy Hield and a 2017 first round draft pick, as well as former King Tyreke Evans and a second round draft pick.
Deal with the Pels includes guard Buddy Hield, and a 2017 first-round pick to the Kings for Cousins, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 20, 2017
Sources: New Orleans is also sending the Kings a 2017 second-round pick (via Philadelphia) and Tyreke Evans in deal, league sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 20, 2017
Marc Stein of ESPN summarizes the deal as follows, noting the inclusion of Langston Galloway:
Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a future first- and second-round to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 20, 2017
Cousins, 26, is averaging a career-high 27.8 points per game in his seventh NBA season—good for fourth highest scoring average in the league, behind Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder (31.1), Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics (29.9), and James Harden of the Houston Rockets (29.2). He has long been coveted by many teams as the best offensive center in the NBA.
Although this is a short-term win for New Orleans, Cousins may not be a piece that the Pelicans can build around in the long haul. He is only under contract through the 2017-18 NBA season, and his agent has stated that he is unlikely to sign a summer extension, according to Stein.
But DeMarcus Cousins' agent Jarinn Akana tells ESPN that Cousins is unlikely to sign a summer extension with any team that trades for him
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 20, 2017
Still, the Pelicans just became a dangerous team in the Western conference. A challenging season had them on track to miss the playoffs entirely, but Cousins is more than a needle mover; he is a game changer. He and Anthony Davis are easily the most talented frontcourt in the league now.
This article will be regularly updated as new information surfaces.