DeMarcus Cousins has firmly denied the rumor that he turned down a two-year, $40 million offer from the New Orleans Pelicans after his Achilles injury.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, Cousins set the record straight, emphasizing that no formal contract discussions ever took place.
Cousins recounted that shortly after his surgery, former Pelicans general manager Dell Demps visited him during a team road trip to Los Angeles. The visit, which Cousins initially believed was to check on his recovery, quickly took a different turn when Demps began discussing the player’s future with the team.
The center was taken aback by the timing of the conversation, particularly given his condition. “Dell Demps came through, he came to visit me… He’s probably there maybe 10 minutes in the midst of that he starts talking contracts,” Cousins explained. He noted that the discussion was inappropriate, especially as he was without his agent and was in the early stages of his recovery.
According to Cousins, Demps mentioned that his value had dropped since the injury but did not discuss specific contract figures. This conversation left Cousins frustrated, leading him to request that any further talks go through his agent.
“I rather not speak again until the start of free agency because I wasn’t appreciative of that moment,” Cousins said, highlighting his displeasure with how the situation was handled.
Contrary to the rumors, Cousins clarified that there were never any official offers discussed between him and the Pelicans. “We never had conversations about a deal in general, no numbers, no years, anything was offered,” Cousins stated.
He expressed confusion over where the rumor originated, emphasizing that no formal offer was ever presented to him.
Cousins also revealed that before his injury, he was on track to sign a supermax extension worth approximately $175 million. The injury significantly altered his career trajectory, and the alleged $40 million offer never materialized.
