The New Orleans Pelicans want to re-sign center DeMarcus Cousins, according to head coach Alvin Gentry.
Cousins, who was dealt to the Pelicans by the Sacramento Kings in 2017, will enter free agency this off-season after appearing in a total of 65 NBA games.
The four-time All-Star averaged 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game in 2017-18 but Cousins was limited to just 48 games after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in late January.
Cousins said he is open to staying in New Orleans though there a few caveats to the 27-year-old's decision.
Gentry told reporters on Monday that the Pelicans will do everything they can to keep Cousins.
"There's not one single person, player, coach or in the basketball ops department or ownership that doesn't want him back," Gentry said.
Without Cousins during his injury, New Orleans still managed to secure the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs as they swept the Portland Trail Blazers in their first-round series.
The Pelicans went on to fall to reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors in five games.
Gentry said the Pelicans are still committed to re-signing Cousins, despite their success without him.
"The bottom line is that obviously we'd like to have him back on our team," Gentry said. "Anyone that thinks you're better having a guy that averaged [25 points and 13 rebounds] not on your team is really kind of not in tune to what it takes to win in this league."
