NBA Free Agency: Decoding the 5 Steps To How The Warriors Ended Up With a Line-up of 5 All-Stars

Step 4: DeMarcus Cousins Achilles Injury

DeMarcus Cousins gets injured against the Houston Rockets

In February 2017, New Orleans Pelicans in a desperate attempt to surround Anthony Davis with all-stars traded for Cousins, though the Pelicans would still miss out on the NBA playoffs.

The next offseason the Pelicans signed Rajon Rondo and resigned Jrue Holiday who had a resurgence year. The team were looking well forward to the make the NBA Playoffs and then the injury happened, Cousins was diagnosed with a torn left Achilles on January 31st, 2018 that would keep him out for the season.

That’s where things changed, Cousins an unrestricted free agent in 2018 was expecting a max multi-million deal from the Pelicans, who were also expecting to keep their core together.

After Cousins injury, the Pelicans started playing much better than basketball than before, finishing 6th in the West and sweeping 3rd Seed Blazers in the Playoffs, although eventually losing out to eventual champions, you guessed it, Warriors in the second round. Pelicans garnered positive reviews for their play in the moonlight of the season and they weren’t really keen on maxing Cousins anymore given their rise of play and all his injury concerns.