Halo

When the Sacramento Kings officially dealt superstar center DeMarcus Cousins on Monday, he became just the sixth player in NBA history averaging 25-plus points to be traded more than 10 games into the season, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

Cousins notched 27.8 points per contest prior to the All-Star break and joining the New Orleans Pelicans and Anthony Davis, giving the club two of the three players in the NBA averaging at least 25 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. Russell Westbrook is the only other player in the league to do the same.

The addition gives the Pelicans one of the most feared frontcourts in the NBA. Cousins and Davis both total more than a block per contest, providing the club with a "twin towers" impact on the defensive end of the floor and a dynamic duo on the offensive end.

New Orleans owns a 23-34 record through the first half of the season, but the club remains just 2.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. A second-half run isn't out of the question, assuming the two can co-exist.

While the Pelicans have generally been regarded as the major winner of the trade, they did deal away much of the team's depth in the backcourt. The team sent guards Buddy Hield and Langston Galloway along with swingman Tyreke Evans and a pair of draft picks to the Kings, but it will gladly take its return of Cousins and Omri Casspi.

Cousins has just one additional season remaining on his contract, but the Pelicans are expected to make a run at re-signing the superstar to a long-term deal. If they can, the team could become an annual contender moving forward.

Read more New Orleans Pelicans news on BleacherReport.com



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