Paul George Trade Reportedly Explored by Pelicans Amid DeMarcus Cousins Talks

The New Orleans Pelicans are sitting 11th in the Western Conference, but they may be one of the NBA's biggest buyers ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.  

ESPN.com's Justin Verrier reported the Pelicans have shown interest in acquiring Indiana Pacers star Paul George and Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins.

The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski also reported on New Orleans' pursuit of Cousins and added the Kings are evaluating his long-term future in Sacramento. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Pelicans would send Buddy Hield and multiple first-round picks to the Kings in order to receive the three-time All-Star.

The Advocate's Scott Kushner tweeted the Pelicans would be willing to trade almost anybody on the roster for the right price:

With George in New Orleans for the All-Star Game, he was asked if he'll be around the city more often, per Lyons Yellin of WWL-TV: "We'll see. I hear the stories."

Akis Yerocostas of SB Nation's Sactown Royalty succinctly summed up the skepticism around New Orleans' chances of making waves ahead of the deadline:

USA Today's Sam Amick reported Feb. 6 the Pelicans were interested in Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor. Nearly two weeks later, Okafor remains in Philadelphia.

Beyond Davis, the Pelicans have few valuable trade assets, which highlights general manager Dell Demps' inability to surround Davis with a strong supporting cast.

Pro Basketball Talk's Dan Feldman posited an extreme hypothetical trade scenario to emphasize the gulf between what the Pelicans could offer and what it may take to get Cousins out of Sacramento:

Jrue Holiday is the team's second-best player, but trading him would make little sense. For one, he's a free agent at the end of the year. In addition, the Pelicans will need Holiday if they want to be a playoff contender.

There's almost no way Hield can be the centerpiece of a trade package for Cousins, despite all of the baggage Cousins brings. George may have an even bigger price tag since he's signed for one more year than Cousins and presents fewer headaches in terms of his personality.

The Pelicans selected Hield sixth overall in last year's draft on the assumption he was one of the most NBA-ready scorers in the 2016 draft. He's averaging 8.6 points a game on 39.2 percent shooting, including 36.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Already 23, Hield doesn't appear to be the franchise player either the Kings or Pacers would want.

Putting together multiple first-round draft picks almost certainly won't get Demps very far in trade talks, either, considering those picks lose significant value should the Pelicans become a consistent top-eight team in the West, which they likely would with George and/or Cousins.

The Pelicans need to make a lot of improvements in order to become a genuine title contender, but acquiring George or Cousins is almost certainly an unachievable goal.