After the NBA All-Star game ended, Twitter was ablaze with a massive trade going down involving the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. The deal was easily the biggest of the deadline so far and it would take quite the doozy to top this one.
Sacramento has agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) February 20, 2017
All in all, the Kings dealt center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Omri Casspi to the Pelicans for guard Buddy Hield, guard, Tyreke Evans, guard Langston Galloway, and New Orleans’ 2017 first-round pick and the 76ers’ 2017 second-round pick.
It’s worth noting this deal isn’t a sign and trade. Cousins is not under contract next season. New Orleans could end up losing him in free agency after the season. However, like most who have looked at this trade – I think it’s lopsided, in favor of the Pelicans.
Cousins certainly has a good chance to resign with New Orleans, but even if he doesn’t, the Pelicans haven’t set their franchise back much with this trade. Hield has potential but is a project. Evans is a decent player and still young at 27, but has fallen far short of expectations. Galloway role player and a bench talent.
The picks sweeten the deal for Sacramento, but still not enough for this trade to make sense. It’s a wonder that other teams didn’t offer better packages (I’m looking at you, Celtics). Cousins is a borderline generational talent as a big man, and he’s essentially been given away.
Betting Odds Reaction
Sportsbooks dropped the Pelicans’ NBA title odds quite a bit. At many sportsbooks, last night and even into the early morning, the odds stood at 750/1 at many sportsbooks. They’ve been adjusted today, for the most part, with New Orleans now about 80/1 to win the NBA Championship.
Some sportsbooks, especially credit shops with local bookies, may still not have their odds updated just yet. Jump on them now before the market fully adjusts.
October 2023 Safest Betting Sites
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