Skip to content

Report: Cousins turned down 2-year, $40M extension from Pelicans after injury

Chris Graythen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The New Orleans Pelicans were willing to open their wallet to keep an injured DeMarcus Cousins with the franchise, but Boogie reportedly wasn't interested.

The All-Star center turned down a two-year contract extension worth $40 million from New Orleans. The offer came after his left Achilles tendon rupture in January, but before the 2017-18 season ended, league sources told the The New York Times' Marc Stein.

Once Cousins declined, the Pelicans took the offer off the table.

Cousins is heading to the Bay Area on a one-year, $5.3-million contract with the Golden State Warriors for the taxpayer mid-level exception. He continues to recover from his injury, and while he hopes to be ready for the start of training camp, there's a possibility Cousins won't play for much of the 2018-19 season.

Related: Warriors upstage LeBron once again with Cousins coup

With so much uncertainty surrounding his long-term outlook and whether he'll be able to return to form quickly, Cousins revealed Monday he received no offers from any team in the Association when free agency began. He eventually reached out to the Warriors to gauge interest, which led to him joining the reigning champions.

New Orleans, meanwhile, locked up former Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle to a two-year, $18-million contract, although the Pelicans reportedly tried to figure out a way to also keep Cousins.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox