Report: DeMarcus Cousins Sign-and-Trade to Blazers Nixed Before Warriors Deal
July 3, 2018
DeMarcus Cousins might have ended up on the Portland Trail Blazers were it not for Jusuf Nurkic.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Cousins agreed to a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, the Blazers had been working on a sign-and trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that fell through:
Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynesESPN Sources: Portland and New Orleans had discussed the possibility of a sign-and-trade for DeMarcus Cousins, but a road block existed since he shares the same agent as RFA Jusuf Nurkic.
Although Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles that will cost him part of the 2018-19 season, most Blazers fans would likely prefer to have him over Nurkic, who regressed in his first full year in Portland.
Nurkic averaged 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 2017-18, down slightly from the 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists he posted in the second half of 2016-17.
As currently constructed, it's hard to see how the Blazers can make a deep playoff run. Three of their last four playoff trips have ended in the first round.
Acquiring Cousins would've carried plenty of risk, but it also would've represented some measure of change to the roster. The offense also opens up so much more with a center who can stretch the floor compared to the stationary Nurkic.
Losing out on Cousins is a big missed opportunity for Portland.
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