Washington Wizards point guard John Wall and New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins are close friends and they are both planning to play together on one team at some point in their respective careers. And their plans could come true with the Wizards, where Wall is currently signed until 2023 after signing a four-year extension worth $170 million. Cousins is in the last season of the four-year, $65.6 million deal that he signed with the Sacramento Kings and could become a free agent in 2018. The Wizards can wait until next summer to lure Cousins into joining the team.
However, the Wizards will have to fight with other teams for Cousins’ services. The Wizards currently have Marcin Gortat as their starting big man but adding Cousins will be an enormous boost for the Wizards, both on offense and defense.
Wizards need cap room for Cousins
The Wizards can pursue a trade with the Pelicans now for Cousins before the trade deadline, according to Evan Macy of Metro.us. Macy said the Wizards need to make room for a maximum deal if they successfully acquire Cousins from the Pelicans in order for them to sign the center to a contract extension. To do this, the Wizards must let go of a player with a huge deal and that is Otto Porter Jr., who has been a revelation this season.
Porter signed a four-year deal worth $106.5 million with the Wizards in the offseason that gives him a salary of $24.8 million this season.
Wizards could trade Porter to 76ers
While Porter is averaging 16.8 points and seven rebounds per game, the Wizards need a superstar for them to become a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference in the person of Cousins.
The Wizards could deal Porter to Pelicans for Cousins, but the latter’s contract will be an additional burden for them. The Wizards could also trade Porter to the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a lot of cap space to accommodate his contract. In the offseason, the 76ers eyed the 23-year-old Porter but his restricted status prevented them from signing the former No.
3 overall pick in the 2013 Draft.
Macy said that Porter will be a great fit to the 76ers brand of play and will be a great addition to their young roster composed of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Robert Covington and Dario Saric. The roster can compete with Eastern Conference contenders such as the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks and could give the Cleveland Cavaliers a run for their money.
