NBA Trade Grades: Pelicans Pull Off DeMarcus Cousins Heist

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Feb 12, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) passes the ball against New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

The New Orleans Pelicans stole All-Star Weekend by working out a trade with the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins. Here are some NBA Trade Grades for the deal.

While Anthony Davis was busy setting a new NBA All-Star Game scoring record with 52 points Sunday night, the New Orleans Pelicans were actively trying to make sure it wasn’t the only victory the Big Easy enjoyed over the weekend.

After months of publicly saying he wasn’t available, and after repeatedly expressing their commitment to hammering out a long-term extension worth more than $200 million, the Sacramento Kings went back on their word, agreeing to send All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to NOLA.

News of the deal was first reported by The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The details slowly trickled in from there, with the Kings sending Boogie and fan favorite Omri Casspi to the Pelicans in exchange for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, New Orleans’ 2017 first round pick and their 2017 second round pick.

Averaging a career-high 27.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.7 three-pointers, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, Boogie is clearly one of the NBA’s elite big men. Pairing him with Anthony Davis will be a delight as the Pellies chase the eighth playoff spot in the West, but what are we to make of this lopsided deal?

To sort out one of the greatest superstar heists in recent memory, here’s a look at some NBA Trade Grades for both sides.

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