“If you’re a GM, what do you do in this situation?” Parsons asked Cousins.

Then Cousins ​​sighed before answering.

“Zion is — at this point in his career, he’s good enough to get you fired,” Cousins ​​said. “That being said, if I’m a GM, I’ll move on. I’ll leave the responsibility to someone else.”

Not only does Cousins ​​believe the Pelicans should trade Williamson, he also believes the Pelicans will trade the All-Star forward.

“I think a trade is in the cards for him, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Cousins ​​said. “Hopefully it’s a reality check that makes Zion realize his shit really stinks.”

Cousins ​​then reiterated that he believes in Williamson’s abilities.

“He has so much talent,” Cousins ​​said. “There is so much potential there. Everyone wants you to reach your potential because we want you to be a successful player, but I just don’t think it works in this area and in this franchise.”

In his five previous seasons, Williamson only played at least 60 games twice and 70 games once over the course of an 82-game season. Williamson could only miss one more game the rest of the regular season to reach the 60-game mark this year. Many former NBA players have attributed Williamson’s lack of availability to the fact that he was not in sufficient playing shape.

“I hope he can end up at a franchise like Miami or somewhere else where health and proper form are really strict,” Cousins ​​said. “Then I think we’re really going to see the best version of him.”

“I wish him every success down the line, but at some point it has to work, otherwise they’ll move on.”

“Zion is good enough to get you fired. If I’m a GM, I’ll move on and leave the responsibility to someone else. …His shit really stinks.”😳@BoogieCousins thinks Zion Williamson needs to be traded to a team like the Miami Heat, do you agree?

📺 https://t.co/JspHWvcrJZ pic.twitter.com/13gTPpVI19

– Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 18, 2024

This isn’t the first time Cousins ​​has expressed his frustration with Williamson. On the same show on November 27, Cousins ​​echoed some of the same sentiments when he said the Pelicans should fine Williamson for being out of shape.

Demarcus Cousins ​​believes organizations should start fining players who are out of form.

Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/crXHmCuPyb

– Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 27, 2024

In 2017, Cousins ​​was traded to New Orleans in a blockbuster deal, leaving the team that drafted him in 2010, the Sacramento Kings. With the Kings, Cousins ​​became arguably the best center in the NBA, but the team never managed to get the right players around him to win.

When he arrived in New Orleans, he found the best team in his league with a supporting cast that included elite power forward Anthony Davis, two-way guard Jrue Holiday and NBA champion point guard Rajon Rondo NBA career fit. Unfortunately, this era failed to reach its full potential as Cousins ​​only played 48 games in his only full season with the team in 2017-18. Ironically, former players also criticized Cousins’ lack of conditioning during this time. In his efforts to return to the NBA in 2022, Cousins ​​admitted his past career mistakes and shared videos of his intense training. His final season in the league was the 2021–22 season when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.

In the summer of 2018, Cousins ​​signed with the Golden State Warriors. He missed the entire 2019–20 season after tearing his quadriceps in the 2019 playoffs. He then played briefly with the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers before moving to the Bucks and Nuggets.

The Pelicans’ current roster has failed to live up to its high preseason expectations due to injuries to several players in the rotation, not just Williamson. The expected former All-Star trio of Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram and Williamson haven’t played a single game together and New Orleans sits in last place in the Western Conference at 5-22. Only the Washington Wizards have fewer wins (3) than the Pelicans in the league.