It's that of year, NBA fans!
With only, say, four-to-six teams harboring realistic chances to make or win the NBA Finals this season, most teams begin to look ahead as we get closer to the Feb. 8, 2018 NBA trade deadline.
While many franchises will look to continue to build or position themselves for runs over the next few years, some may have to face the music and tear down what was supposed to be a promising roster.
That could be the case for the New Orleans Pelicans. One year after trading for DeMarcus Cousins to pair with star big man Anthony Davis, the all-star could soon be on the way out.
During an appearance on the Dunc'd on Podcast, Marc Stein of The New York Times talked about Cousins' impending free agency and how the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks could swoop in to steal the center from New Orleans, per RealGM.
"I think most teams around the league believe that the Pelicans will re-sign Cousins unless he doesn't want to stay there," Stein said. "I think the Pelicans are the clear favorites. Now, I would say there's an expectation-and maybe it's even speculation on the part of rival team- but I've heard Dallas and the Lakers mentioned most frequently. Those are teams that are expected, whatever 'expected' means, to make a run at him."
Cousins, 27, is averaging 25.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this season for New Orleans.
If Cousins does land in Los Angeles with the Lakers, it could be as part of a package deal of stars with some combination of LeBron James and Paul George.
Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.