Did Pelicans steal DeMarcus Cousins for Tyreke Evans, Hield and picks?

The true ramifications of Sunday night’s blockbuster deal, which sent DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a trove of guards and this year’s first-round draft pick, won’t be fully known for some time.

There are legitimate and intriguing basketball questions, like how franchise centerpiece Anthony Davis and Cousins will mesh and whether the Pelicans will ultimately be able to keep Cousins past his 2018 free agency. But from the Pelicans’ perspective, this was an absolute no-brainer. When presented the chance to put the best two big men in the NBA together, you do it and figure out logistics later. It’s opposing defenses that need to fret.

The Kings’ side is a different story, and it’s the unknowns that will likely be hotly debated. What other offers were the Kings presented with? Did something happen that made Cousins’ prodigious talent not enough to overcome his mercurial personality? How prepared are the Kings for another franchise overhaul after publicly proclaiming that they weren’t going to trade their franchise cornerstone?

There are numerous angles to approach this megatrade. Let’s get to the winners.

New Orleans Pelicans: A-

First and foremost, the Pelicans. New Orleans, a city known for its  Cajun cuisine, likely satiated their most important piece in Davis.

“This is an unbelievable weekend. All-Star MVP and now getting Boogie. It doesn’t get better than this,” Davis said after the news broke.

The Pelicans hadn’t made the playoffs since getting swept in the first round by the Warriors in 2015 and, currently 2 1/2 games out of the No. 8 seed in the West, were in danger of missing the postseason again. That may not happen now with Cousins in tow, but more importantly, it signals to Davis that they’re working to get him the help he needs.

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New Orleans gave up last year’s No. 6 pick Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a first- and second-round pick in this year’s draft. The first-round pick reportedly has top-3 protection, meaning that the pick will go to Sacramento if it’s No. 4 or lower. This is not a huge bounty for a player of Cousins’ stature.

There is some risk, aside from his volatile personality, that the Pelicans won’t be able to re-sign Cousins after next year. Had he stayed with the Kings, he could’ve signed a designated veteran’s extension that would’ve paid him around $210 million – a provision of the latest CBA. The irony is that the provision was supposed to incentivize stars to stay with their teams. But now, the Pelicans will bank on appealing to Cousins with a player of Davis’ caliber. More importantly and in the immediate future, it gives the Pelicans an obvious route to contending in the West. Did someone say Golden State vs. New Orleans in the first round?

Sacramento Kings: C-

At first glance, this doesn’t look great for Sacramento. The Kings vowed that they wouldn’t trade Cousins, and then they traded him. That’s not going to sit well with players or agents in future negotiations.

The Kings clearly felt they needed a franchise overhaul. They hadn't won more than 33 games since Cousins was drafted No. 5 overall out of Kentucky in 2010. As USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick wrote, the trade was as much about ridding themselves of Cousins as it was about their return.

"For years, through five coaching changes and two front-office overhauls, there were complaints internally about how Cousins would treat younger players and his inability to be a positive part of a strong culture," Amick wrote.

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Then there’s the actual haul.

It's obvious the Kings like Hield’s potential. The 23-year-old rookie is averaging 8.6 points and almost three rebounds. He was also shooting nearly 37% from the three-point line, which ranks among the best rookies in the league. Former Kings guard Tyreke Evans is averaging a career-low 9.5 points coming off his third right knee surgery in nine months.

Also, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive had a strong affinity for Hield before the draft. He was the only owner to attend to his pro day.

The trade may hinge on the results of the two picks this year, but given that the Pelicans will be in contention for the playoffs, there’s no guarantee that the Kings will even get a lottery pick out of the deal. The silver lining is that because the Kings are expected to fall in the standings, it seems extremely likely they’ll be able to keep their own pick, which would’ve gone to the Chicago Bulls if it was outside the top 10. What's more, the Philadelphia 76ers have the right to swap picks with the Kings if Sacramento's pick is higher.

So given that the haul wasn’t overwhelming, this goes back to the aforementioned unknowns. What was the market for Cousins, and did that factor into the Kings' decision to move him four days before Thursday's trade deadline? How much was Cousins affecting their culture, and was it time to reroute the franchise? There was no debating Cousins’ talent, but he does have baggage. And that baggage is headed to The Big Easy.

Follow Michael Singer on Twitter @MSinger