DeMarcus Cousins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Cousins, Green, Capela, Simmons

December 30th, 2017 at 11:56am CST by marksuleymanov

Dirk Nowitzki is no longer the perennial All-Star that the Mavericks organization and fanbase grew accustomed to but he is still the team leader, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. While Nowitzki’s numbers are down across the board this season but the team is still in awe of how important he is to the team.

“But Dirk’s been amazing. He’s played in every single game,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He had another phenomenal shooting night He’s leading this team in his 20th year and, you know, he does it so routinely, I’m just afraid people are going to take this a little too much for granted. But we’re seeing a really amazing performance for a guy at this stage of his career.”

Dallas is far out of playoff contention with a 12-25 record, the third worst in the Western Conference. Throughout the team’s championship seasons and even the current rebuilding stages, Nowitzki has been the one constant the past two decades and this may be his last season.

Check out other Southwest Notes below:

As free agency nears, DeMarcus Cousins‘ list of suitors could include the Mavericks and the team may be appealing to him, too, Sefko writes in a separate story. Nowitzki called Cousins one of, if not the best centers in the NBA and himself sounded intrigued by Cousins joining Dallas. “And as far as a potential Maverick, you never know. Free agency is tough to predict. We’ll see what happens,” Nowitzki said.
Jared Weiss at Celtics Wire chronicled the stressful 48 hours of Gerald Green‘s life, leading up his NBA return with the Rockets this week. The 10-year NBA was en route to Boston to see his sick son and after getting off the plane, he learned that the Rockets — who were in Boston to face the Celtics — needed him.
The Rockets have been hit hard with injuries this holiday season, most prominently losing Chris Paul and Clint Capela. Matt Petersen of NBA.com writes that the Rockets have missed Capela’s large frame and budding skills throughout their five-game losing streak.
Undrafted guard Kobi Simmons has made a strong impression on his Grizzlies coaches and teammates, NBA.com’s Michael Wallace writes.

Southwest Rumors: Tanking, Pelicans, Ferrell, Rockets

December 25th, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies dismiss the notion of tanking to improve their chances of moving up the lottery, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Tillery the team still believes it can make the playoffs, despite its 10-23 record. “In our mind, there is no tanking,” he said. “We’re competitive. We just need to find a way to get over that hump. We’ve continued to take steps.” Center Marc Gasol has no interest in playing for a team that intentionally waves the white flag, Tillery adds. “My job is not allowing that to happen,” Gasol said. “My job is not allowing anyone to throw away the season. Because at 32, 33 next month, I don’t have a season to throw away.”

In other news around the Southwest Division:

The Pelicans are hovering around the .500 mark and need to take advantage of a soft spot in their upcoming schedule, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders examines. They face the Nets, Mavericks and Knicks before the New Year, which could help them make a move in the standings. If New Orleans continues to wallow in mediocrity, trade chatter will increase with DeMarcus Cousins heading to free agency this summer, Kyler notes. The lack of a bona fide leader, plus a penchant for turnovers, are two of the major issues confronting a team that should be better than its current record, Kyler adds.
Mavericks combo guard Yogi Ferrell has boosted his 3-point shooting average to 40.2% during a recent seven-game hot streak, which doesn’t come as a surprise to head coach Rick Carlisle. One of the reasons Dallas signed Ferrell last season was his superior shooting mechanics, as Carlisle told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. “I feel good anytime any of our shooters have a good look at a three,” he said. “But when Yogi has the space and the pass is on time and on target, he does a great job of stepping into it.”
Rockets GM Daryl Morey recently said in a radio interview that the club is obsessed with beating the Warriors and Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines that it’s not wise to take that approach. Hamilton explains that the Rockets can’t afford to look past or show a lack of respect to the Spurs, who are always dangerous during the postseason.

DeMarcus Cousins Talks Future With Pelicans

December 15th, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

While DeMarcus Cousins has put up excellent numbers throughout his entire NBA career, he has taken his game to another level this season, recording 26.1 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.5 BPG, and 1.5 SPG through his first 29 contests.

If the Pelicans continue to hold a playoff spot and Cousins stays hot, he could even be in the MVP consideration at season’s end. However, the big man tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that’s not a priority. Suggesting that he’d be happy with a Pelicans win even if he took just two shots all game, Cousins said he doesn’t care about “numbers” or “All-NBA.”

In addition to addressing the MVP conversation – he views the award as a “popularity contest” – and griping about how quickly referees are willing to slap him with a technical foul, Cousins also weighed in on a few topics related to his potential short- and long-term future with the Pelicans. Here are some of the highlights from his comments to Spears:

On whether he thinks the Pelicans could trade him before the deadline:

“I am confident in my team. I am starting to understand this business a lot more than I did before. You can kind of tell when things are about to come about. We’re a very competitive team. A talented team. I don’t think that will be the case at all.”

On teammate Anthony Davis encouraging him to re-sign with the Pelicans:

“A.D. hits me with little jabs about free agency all the time, but he also understands. It was Jrue [Holiday] in that situation last [offseason], and we understood his situation. Of course, they throw their little jabs. They throw their little jokes. But they are serious at the same time. They are respectful about it at the same time. … They have been great about it. It’s never been like a pressure thing. But I know where their heart is and they know where mine is. We have a great understanding.”

On the prospect of making the postseason for the first time in his NBA career:

“It would definitely be a special moment for me. I am a super competitive guy. I come out to play every night no matter who it is in front of me. And I love to win. I hate losing more than I love to win. To be able to reach that goal, something I haven’t been able to do in my career, which is sad, that would be one of the more special moments of my career so far.”

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Asik, Martin

November 23rd, 2017 at 3:32pm CST by Austin Kent

The addition of Rajon Rondo to the Pelicans lineup helps ease the burden on superstar big men Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, William Guillory of The Times-Picayune writes.

When the guard was sidelined for 13 games as a result of a core muscle injury, Cousins – the Pelicans’ 6’11”, 270-pound center – ended up handling much of the team’s playmaking responsibilities.

“I don’t have to be as much of a playmaker as I’ve had to be in the past,” Cousins said of Rondo’s return to the Pelicans. “Having a floor general like that and missing him from the beginning of the season, it hurt us as a team. But once we get him at 100 percent, I think we’ll be a totally different team.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

For the first time since last February, Pelicans big man Omer Asik was on the Pelicans‘ active list, William Guillory of The Times-Picayune writes, but that doesn’t mean he’ll start logging big minutes any time soon. “He hasn’t been able to run or condition or anything like that,” head coach Alvin Gentry said prior to the team’s Wednesday night contest. “Even when he’s released to play, it’s going to take a while for him to be able to play anything other than really short spurts.“
Tennessee native Austin Nichols will suit up in the FedEx Forum as a member of the Memphis Hustle tomorrow night. It will mark the G League affiliate’s only performance in the Grizzlies‘ arena this season. “I was a little burned out on ball, but I’ve fallen back in love with it,” Nichols, once a featured member of the city’s revered college program until his unceremonious exit told Pete Wickham of Grind City Media. “I’ve matured on and off the court, trying to figure out who I wanted to be, and trying to mature as a person. I wanted to stay in the States, and when this option became available, it was great to be back home playing for the city.”
Although he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase it, Grizzlies forward Jarell Martin believes that the sky is the limit for his development as a player, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype writes. The 23-year-old, who didn’t start playing basketball until his junior season in high school, has averaged 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season.

Pelicans Notes: Smith, Davis, Cousins, Holiday

October 28th, 2017 at 6:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The veterans minimum contract for Josh Smith, who formally signed with the Pelicans this afternoon after several days of waiting, will cost the team $13,156 per day, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. With a team salary slightly more than $122.7MM, New Orleans was roughly $1MM below the luxury tax before adding Smith. He is the latest veteran signing for a team that added Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen over the offseason, then reached a deal with Jameer Nelson after he was waived by the Nuggets.

“Being able to get this call, I feel like it was a second chance and a breath of fresh air,” Smith told Christian Boutwell of The Advocate. “I thank the New Orleans Pelicans organization for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to continue to do what I love to do.”

There’s more today out of New Orleans:

The Pelicans’ complementary players have hampered the pairing of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Although both big men are able to initiate the offense from the perimeter, the talent around them don’t shoot well enough to provide spacing, O’Connor adds. Ian Clark is the team’s best career 3-point shooter at 37.2%, and E’Twaun Moore, Nelson and Jrue Holiday are the only others above 36%. Front office sources tell O’Connor they don’t expect any significant roster changes from the Pelicans for the rest of the season, unless they fall far out of playoff contention by the deadline. He notes that the chances of Cousins signing with the Lakers when he hits free agency next summer remain very real.
The Pelicans will need a playoff appearance to improve their chances of keeping Cousins, suggests Sam Amick of USA Today. Cousins has spent eight seasons in the league without reaching the postseason and will be more inclined to look elsewhere if he misses for a second straight year in New Orleans. Amick writes that Cousins is currently the star player most likely to change teams next summer.
Holiday had his best game of the season Thursday in sparking a comeback in Sacramento, boosting the team’s hopes that he can handle his new backcourt role, writes William Guillory of The Times-Picayune. New Orleans is counting on Holiday to take on more of the scoring load, and he delivered 20 points in the win over the Kings. “Jrue was incredible,” Cousins said. “We’ve been pushing him to just be an aggressive guard at all times. I feel like no guard in this league can guard him one-on-one. He came out and he was aggressive and made some huge plays for us.”

Kings Notes: Cousins, Fox, Bogdanovic

October 25th, 2017 at 10:30pm CST by clarkcrum

Count TNT analyst and former Kings star Chris Webber in as a supporter of former King DeMarcus Cousins, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Webber, a five time All-Star, says he can relate to the emotions Cousins will likely feel when he steps on the court in Sacramento tomorrow night for the first time since being traded to New Orleans last season.

Webber also blames the Kings for the way they handled Cousins during his time in Sacramento, stating that forcing Cousins to endure six head coaches in his six-plus seasons is “just downright wrong” and an example of what needs fixing with the Kings organization.

There’s more from Sacramento:

Despite Cousins’ comments that he “should have left (Sacramento) when (he) had the chance,” the Kings still plan on honoring Cousins during Thursday night’s game against New Orleans, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
Although they’re playing together for the first time, Kings rookies De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic have already begun to click with each other on the court, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Bogdanovic missed the first three games of the season, but scored 12 points in his NBA debut, and given his overseas experience, Fox was not the least bit surprised. “We don’t even look at him as a rookie. He just talks like he’s a vet,” Fox shared. “He hasn’t been in the NBA but he’s been a pro for so long so he knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s kind of like my vet on the court.”
In an interesting article for Sactown Royalty, Bradley Geiser writes that the Kings deserve to lose to New Orleans “in embarrassing fashion” on Thursday night because of, among other reasons, the timing and secretive method of Cousins’ trade to New Orleans during All-Star festivities last season after the Kings publicly declaring their loyalty to Cousins just a week earlier.

Southwest Notes: Cousins, Parker, Leonard, Canaan

October 25th, 2017 at 1:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans star DeMarcus Cousins regrets not leaving the Kings sooner, he tells Marc J. Spears in an E:60 interview posted on ESPN. Cousins clams he had an opportunity to go to another team when George Karl was hired as Sacramento’s head coach in February of 2015.

“My representatives told me I shouldn’t have stayed,” Cousins said, “but being stubborn and I guess you could say ‘loyal,’ I wanted to make things work. I should have left when I had the chance and avoided it all because they told me what would happen.”

He had a long and public feud with Karl until the coach was fired at the end of the 2015/16 season. Cousins finally left the Kings during last season’s All-Star break when he was traded to New Orleans. He will return to Sacramento for a game Thursday night.

“I’m excited to play in front of the fans and see their reaction, but as far as it being a revenge game, hey, I’m past it,” Cousins added. “I’m in a good place. I’m happy where I’m at.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Veteran point guard Tony Parker is headed to the G League for a rehab assignment with the Austin Spurs, Spears tweets. The team is holding its training camp in San Antonio, so it’s easy for him to do rehab work there, notes Michael C. Wright of ESPN. (Twitter link). Parker had to give his consent for the G League assignment, adds ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The last health update from coach Gregg Popovich indicated that Parker might be able to play in December.
Popovich said Kawhi Leonard could make his season debut during a six-game home stand next month, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. That home stand stretches from November 2 to 11.
Isaiah Canaan, who agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Rockets on Tuesday, could play tonight in Philadelphia, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Canaan played for Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni when he was an assistant with the Sixers and has an understanding of his approach. “I know his game and he knows our offense more or less,” D’Antoni said. “We did a lot of it up here. He just went through a training camp [with the Thunder], which I like. He’s already been playing. We need bodies. I could see him playing.” The Rockets are short on guards with Chris Paul sidelined by knee soreness.
The Pelicans became the latest team to announce a corporate partnership, teaming up with Zatarain’s, a New Orleans-based food company. The team will begin wearing the Zatarain’s logo on its jerseys.

Pelicans Notes: Crawford, Cousins, Allen, Rondo

October 21st, 2017 at 6:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans would have preferred not to lose Jordan Crawford, who was waived today to make room for Jameer Nelson, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Crawford, who originally signed with New Orleans in March, was fitting in well in a reserve role. He was effective in the preseason and was averaging 9.0 points and 3.5 assists in the Pelicans’ first two regular season games.

Crawford had the misfortune of owning the only contract on the roster that wasn’t fully guaranteed. New Orleans will only owe him $250K, and that will be wiped out if he is claimed off waivers. The team saves a little bit on the two transactions, as Nelson’s veterans minimum salary is less than Crawford’s $1.7MM cap hit. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the Pelicans, who have been hit hard by injuries in the early going, tried to get assurance from the league that they will be granted an injury exception after their third game Sunday night, allowing them to add an extra player. When that request was denied, they had no choice but to waive Crawford.

There’s more today out of New Orleans:

DeMarcus Cousins was fined $25K for an altercation with a fan Wednesday in Memphis, the league announced on its website. The fine was for “directing inappropriate language towards a fan” in an incident near the end of the game. A technical foul assessed against Cousins was rescinded.
Former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen admitted to being nervous as he returned to Memphis for the Pelicans’ season opener, relays Mark Giannotto of The Commercial-Appeal. Allen still has fondness for the city where he helped to create the “grit and grind” culture over the past seven seasons. “I had so many jitters in my body. Butterflies,” Allen said. “Whatever you want to call it, I was a little nervous. But I’m glad they got that over with. It’s a lot of love for the city, a lot of love for the fans. I appreciate that.”
Rajon Rondo may not be guaranteed a starting spot when he recovers from sports hernia surgery, writes Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com in a look at 10 questions surrounding the team. Jrue Holiday will resume point guard duties while Rondo is sidelined, and Duncan speculates that the Pelicans may not want to tinker with success if things go well without Rondo. Duncan adds that coach Alvin Gentry and GM Dell Demps will be reluctant to take any chances because they need the team to be successful to keep their jobs.

Pelicans Notes: Rondo, Cousins, Allen, Crawford

September 29th, 2017 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

New Pelicans point guard Rajon Rondo is confident that Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins can be effective together and he’s eager to be part of that process, relays William Guillory of The New Orleans Times-Picayune. Rondo, who is with his fifth team in the past four years, said the big-man tandem played an important role in his decision to sign with the Pelicans. “They’ve only had a couple months together, I don’t count pretty much last year even though they did play together,” Rondo said. “I think those two guys are capable of being two of the best bigs to ever play this game as a duo. That’s pretty high expectations, but they have the talent to do it.”

Rondo had prior experience with Cousins when they were in Sacramento together in 2015/16. Both excelled that season as Rondo led the league with 11.7 assists per game and Cousins averaged 26.9 points. Coach Alvin Gentry said he likes the idea of pairing Rondo with incumbent point guard Jrue Holiday because it gives him two players capable of running the offense.

There’s more today out of New Orleans:

Cousins believes his on-court chemistry with Davis is already much better than it was last season, Guillory writes in a separate piece. The All-Star big men didn’t have much time to prepare as they were thrown together after Cousins was acquired from the Kings during All-Star weekend. They spent the summer working out in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and Cousins describes their relationship as “smoother” now that camp has started. “We’re figuring out our high-low game a lot more. We’re picking our spots: Who’s the guy to pop? Who’s the guy to roll,” Cousins said. “Last year, it would be times where we would run into each other or be on top of each other.”
After being a starter in Memphis, veteran guard Tony Allen knew he couldn’t count on that role when he signed with the Pelicans, Guillory adds in another story. Allen, who agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary contract two weeks ago, expects to see his playing time vary from game to game based on matchups. “I’m going to be put in situations or lineups where some days I might start, some days I might play five minutes,” Allen said. “It’s just being ready to do whatever it takes for the team to win ball games.”
Jordan Crawford, who joined the Pelicans on a 10-day deal in March, tells Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com that his best moment as an athlete was getting back to the NBA after two years out of the league. After the Warriors elected not to re-sign him in 2014, Crawford played in China and the G League before getting an opportunity with New Orleans.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Anthony, Cousins, Wade

September 24th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t expect a firm answer from LeBron James tomorrow when Media Day questions turn to his future, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Monday will mark the first time the Cavaliers star has spoken to reporters since Game 5 of the NBA Finals and the first time since rumors emerged that he has plans to join the Lakers as a free agent next July. LeBron will probably tell the media that he hasn’t made up his mind, which Vardon believes is true.

The talk about LeBron’s next decision will overshadow other issues surrounding the team heading into training camp, such as the condition of Isaiah Thomas‘ hip, the new personnel on hand, the chances of Dwyane Wade coming aboard after a buyout from the Bulls and whether the organization plans to keep or trade the unprotected first-rounder it got from Brooklyn. But Cavaliers fans had better get used to it because LeBron’s future is going to eclipse everything all season.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

The Knicks were demanding a first-round pick from the Cavaliers in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, Vardon writes in a separate story. Anthony included Cleveland among the three teams he was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join, but the Cavs felt the price was too high.
The Cavaliers are listening to offers for the Brooklyn pick, but it’s unlikely a deal will involve either of the Pelicans’ big men, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops. Rumors have been circulating about DeMarcus Cousins, who will be a free agent next summer, but Amico says the teams haven’t discussed a Cousins trade and the Cavs may not even be interested. Also, Amico hears that New Orleans won’t trade Anthony Davis under any circumstances.
Amico believes Wade is headed to Cleveland, possibly before the season begins. He and the Bulls are ready to part ways, and Amico sees no reason why the buyout should be a lengthy process. He passes along a few other roster details in the same piece, stating that it’s unlikely that Kay Felder or Edy Tavares earns a spot, although both could wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Canton; most scouts like Ante Zizic, who was acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade, more than Cedi Osman; and the Cavs and Rockets “were at the one-yard line, ready to punch it in” on an Iman Shumpert trade this summer.