Report: Pelicans may offer Cousins short-term deal at less than max

The New Orleans Pelicans would like to keep Boogie in the Big Easy, but they don't sound willing to break the bank to make that happen.

All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins will be entering unrestricted free agency this summer, and the Pelicans have reportedly discussed the idea of offering him a two- or three-year contract for less than the maximum, sources told ESPN's Zach Lowe.

Cousins has been sidelined since late January after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, which requires anywhere from six-to-10 months to recover from. It's impossible to know how the big man will perform once he's cleared to return, adding risk for any team willing to make an offer.

Just over one-third of the league will have the financial wiggle room to give Cousins a max-level deal in the offseason, yet according to Lowe's sources, a majority of those teams won't offer that much money.

The Pelicans recently swept the Portland Trail Blazers out of the first round of the playoffs, so they'll have increased leverage in negotiations with Cousins knowing they can thrive without him. They also finished the regular season with an overall record of 48-34, going 21-13 down the final stretch sans Cousins.

This year marked Cousins' first full campaign with New Orleans after coming over from the Sacramento Kings midway through last season via trade. Prior to the injury, he was averaging 25.2 points on 47 percent shooting, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 36.2 minutes.