DeMarcus Cousins on Not Returning to Anthony Davis, Pelicans: 'It's F--ked Up'

DeMarcus Cousins has arguably moved on to greener pastures, but the four-time All-Star remains frustrated with the circumstances that eventually landed him with the Golden State Warriors.

In particular, Cousins lamented what could've been with Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I think about our pairing all the time," he said in an interview with The Athletic's Shams Charania. "Me and AD talk about it. It's f--ked up. It could've been something great, something special, but other people had different things in mind. That's out of our control, and you never know what'll happen later on down the line."

Cousins also took offense at how little interest he received as a free agent this past summer: "The people I reached out to ... man, the teams I was talking to, and how they slammed the phone in my face. They all slammed the door shut on me. I wish I could share those conversations. But it's done with. I reached out to teams with the same offer as Golden State, just to see."

In what proved to be his final season in New Orleans, Cousins was on pace to earn a max contract. He averaged 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds through his first 48 games.

Then Cousins tore his Achilles in the Pelicans' 115-113 win over the Houston Rockets on Jan. 26, 2018. His value took a significant hit, and he settled on a one-year, $5.3 million contract with the Warriors.

According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, New Orleans offered him a two-year deal "in the $40 million range." When Cousins declined the offer, the Pelicans "took it off the table."

While Cousins' frustration is understandable, his inability to command a big-money offer wasn't surprising.

The history of NBA players recovering from major Achilles injuries wasn't encouraging. Even before the injury, the Pelicans had reason to question whether the partnership of Cousins and Davis was worth committing to for the long term.

The Pelicans were 27-21 and sixth in the Western Conference when Cousins went down. New Orleans sat 14th in net rating (0.3) as well, per NBA.com. Although the team was on pace to reach the playoffs, it was still well behind the level necessary to take down Golden State.

Landing with the Warriors—while not what Cousins initially wanted—could be a blessing in disguise. Given the depth of talent at Golden State's disposal, he's not asked to do too much. Cousins can look good in short stretches, and winning an NBA title will only burnish his reputation ahead of the offseason.