Pelicans' Price For DeMarcus Cousins Shows Celtics Likely Weren't Interested At All
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- After being mired in trade rumors for years, DeMarcus Cousins is finally being moved. He's going to New Orleans.
The news caught Cousins by surprise, as he apparently was informed of the news just as he was sitting down to face reporters following Sunday night's All-Star Game.
The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the price paid for Cousins as Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick to Sacramento in the deal.
It's a somewhat surprising story, mostly because Cousins had been rumored so much in recent years that it felt like he'd never actually be traded. Plus, just last month, it was reported that Cousins and the Kings had agreed on a long-term extension to be signed in the summer, thus quieting much of the trade talk.
But from a Boston perspective, the deal is surprising because the price on Cousins was ... pretty low. Hield was the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, but the Celtics could have offered up Jaylen Brown (No. 3 overall). The Celtics have plenty of picks to offer up, while Evans and Galloway are easy to find matches on the Celtics' roster.
So, the conclusion from Boston is that Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens just weren't interested in acquiring Cousins' services.
My understanding is that Cs never had any interest in Cousins. As in ... not now ... and not ever.
— Tony Massarotti (@TonyMassarotti) February 20, 2017
Cousins' talent is obvious, but his attitude has constantly been questioned both by insiders and outsiders. Ainge said in December on Toucher & Rich that "It looks like, from a distance, there are issues there." Stevens was reported to have no interest in dealing with Cousins.
UPDATE: Later on Monday, The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach reported that the Celtics never had real interest in Cousins.
And according to ESPN's Ric Bucher, the Celtics' brass was busy focusing its efforts on Jimmy Butler -- not Cousins -- this weekend.
Source w/reasons Pels got Boogie: Cs (too focussed on getting Butler), Orl (could've had him, balked) & Phx (Sac didn't want BKnight).
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) February 20, 2017
Snatching Butler from the Bulls seems like a much taller task for the Celtics, and it seems like a longer shot. But by staying on the sidelines while a Western Conference team 11 games under .500 swooped in and nabbed Cousins for cheap, the Celtics let it be known that their interest level in the three-time All-Star was close to zero.