John Calipari Says He Won't Coach DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis on Pelicans

With DeMarcus Cousins heading to New Orleans, John Calipari had an inkling there might be rumors he'd leave the University of Kentucky for the Pelicans job. Calipari took time out Monday to squash those rumors before they could even start.  

"Not happening," Calipari said on The Dan Patrick Show, per Jason Marcum of A Sea of Blue. "I'd rather be in the situation that I'm in to be help, to be a mentor, whatever they need me to be. I've got a position where it's more than just basketball. What moves me now at my age is we're creating hope for people and kids."

Calipari coached Cousins and Anthony Davis when they played at Kentucky. 

The Sacramento Kings traded Cousins and Omri Casspi to New Orleans late Sunday night for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a top-three protected 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 second-rounder, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein. The deal has been widely seen as a no-brainer for New Orleans, which has been desperately searching for a co-star for Davis.

"The thought of it, that they're so different yet they're big, they're talented, and they're skilled," Calipari said. "The biggest thing is both of them want to win."

Cousins had been publicly committed to Sacramento despite near-constant trade rumors. The three-time All-Star is averaging 27.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season. He and Davis combine to give New Orleans the NBA's best frontcourt and one of the best big-man duos in recent memory.

Sacramento's motivation behind the trade is borderline befuddling. Hield is 23 and has struggled for most of his rookie season. The 2017 NBA draft is deep, but the best-case scenario is that Sacramento gets some player as good as the one it gave up.

Calipari, who has rebuilt Kentucky into a national power and noted one-and-done factory, has been sought after by multiple NBA organizations in recent seasons. 

The 58-year-old coach's success at the college level is almost unprecedented, as he's built winners at UMass, Memphis and Kentucky. Calipari's lone failure as a coach came during his short run with the New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999. The Nets went 72-112 under Calipari, making the postseason once in a first-round sweep at the hands of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

Success in the NBA is seemingly the only itch Calipari would theoretically have left to scratch in his career. But as he's said time and again, he's happy at Kentucky.