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DeMarcus Cousins Linked to New Orleans; Hurts Jahlil Okafor’s Stock

By Pete Sawan

Jan 18, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Golden 1 Center. The Pacers defeated the Kings 106-100. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Golden 1 Center. The Pacers defeated the Kings 106-100. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /
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In NBA trade rumors, the New Orleans Pelicans have interest in acquiring Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins. How does this hurt Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor‘s value?

Wow, the New Orleans Pelicans really want a big man. Coincidentally, the Sacramento Kings have a big man in DeMarcus Cousins. Interestingly enough, General Manager Vlade Divac said that the team had no interest in dealing Boogie just a little bit ago. So, ideally, you’d think that the Pelicans would go after a guy like Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor. But, apparently New Orleans has an interest in good ol’ Boogie, according to recent NBA trade rumors.

Now, the rumors swirling around DeMarcus Cousins and the Pelicans definitely could come to fruition. The Kings don’t really have much going for them. The team has not made the playoffs since 2006. With that sort of drought, you wonder what the team will do to rectify it.

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Unfortunately, the Kings have not had much luck in recent memory. Outside of Cousins, their first round draft picks have not developed into quality contributors. Their last quality draft pick, Isaiah Thomas, was selected 60th overall in the 2011 draft. Every effort to surround Cousins with talent essentially failed.

Thus, something needs to happen. Either the Kings need to move Boogie, or they need to surround him with real talent. The former seems like the most likely scenario at this point. As a result, the Pelicans have expressed interest in the bigman. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Kings have “privately encouraged them to offer up trade proposals for Cousins,” which goes against everything that Divac said.

Major Upgrade

Regardless, if the Pelicans truly want to pursue Cousins, it makes not sense for them to target Jahlil Okafor. Obviously, DeMarcus Cousins is a much better player that Jahlil Okafor at this point in his career. The Pelicans need to bolster their front court. A guy like Boogie immediately does that for your organization.

Another key factor to this sort of move already plays for the Pelicans: Anthony Davis. This guy does it all for New Orleans. He gets buckets with ease, and defends with the best of them. He can play the four and the five whenever needed. Any lineup immediately benefits from a guy like AD.

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Just imagine a front court with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. That front court can easily score 50 points a game. Both guys can spread the floor and take it inside. Defensively you won’t a better duo. They could some serious damage together.

If you pair Anthony Davis with Jahlil Okafor, it might not work as well. Jah’s offensive game has its limitations, especially considering that he needs the ball in his hands. On defense, Okafor would need a lot of help. While Davis can definitely hide some of Jah’s flaws, it does not mean he’s their only option. Obviously, you can make a move for DeMarcus Cousins, you better do it.

Jah’s Value

Now, I don’t think that Jahlil Okafor can’t yield a decent return. If anything, a thin center market should help him. But, when you add arguably the best center in the league to the equation, that could alter things.

With the lack of suitors for Jahlil Okafor, you wonder what the market will dictate for a guy like him. Originally, four teams had ties to some sort of Jahlil Okafor deal. Two of those teams have made moves for bigs: the Portland Trailblazers and the Denver Nuggets. If the Pelicans don’t want Okafor anymore, that leaves the Chicago Bulls.

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Now, the Bulls do have some decent assets to offer. Guys like Doug McDermott, Denzel Valentine, and Bobby Portis all have value as young guys who need minutes. But, if Chicago ends up being the only team shopping for Jah, they gain some leverage. The Bulls can dictate what they want to give up in exchange for Okafor.

But that does not mean that the Philadelphia 76ers have to accept that offer. The Sixers can still have a little leverage. Obviously, losing a potential buyer definitely hurts that. When you have less franchises in pursuit of your commodity, the returns simply won’t match your asking price. Economics at its finest.

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Thus, with the New Orleans Pelicans interested in DeMarcus Cousins, the Philadelphia 76ers lose a potential partner for Jahlil Okafor. If the Sixers want to move Jah, they need to find a new partner. With Chicago seeming like the only potential partner, the return on investment can only go down. Hopefully, the Sixers can figure out a way to earn a decent return for a guy that they desperately want to move.