Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry says everyone in New Orleans wants DeMarcus Cousins back next season.
The All-Star center, an unrestricted free agent this summer, has said he’s “very open” to re-signing in NOLA.
Alvin Gentry on DeMarcus Cousins: "There's not anyone that does not want him back with our franchise." https://t.co/a0voZctbIe
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) May 21, 2018
Cousins, 27, ruptured his Achilles tendon in January and watched the Pels make a remarkable run with him in street clothes, leading to speculation that the team may be better off without Boogie.
Per The Times-Picayune:
“There’s not anyone that does not want him back with our franchise,” Gentry said Monday (May 21) at the Saints Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic at Bayou Oaks City Park’s south course.
Because of the injury and the success the Pelicans had without Cousins, some people think the team would be better off letting him leave, but Gentry strongly stated his desire to have Cousins stay in New Orleans.
“The bottom line is that obviously we’d like to have him back on our team,” Gentry said. “Anyone that thinks you’re better having a guy that averaged (25 points) and 13 (rebounds) not on your team, is really kind of not in tune to what it takes to win in this league. There’s just so many factors that enter into it, but there’s not one single person, player, coach, or in the basketball (operations) department or ownership that doesn’t want him back.”
