Carmelo Anthony (Image Credits: Imagn)

Carmelo Anthony Reveals Wild Recruitment Story That Nearly Created Unreal New Orleans Big Three

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Debmallya Chakraborty | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 9:16 AM ET

The Golden State Warriors looked unbeatable during the 2015-2022 period. During this time, they won 4 of their 7 overall NBA championships. However, according to Carmelo Anthony, all that dominance might have fizzled out if the New Orleans Pelicans had pulled off a blockbuster trade.

The 41-year-old basketball player has been quite active after his retirement. Recently, Anthony weighed in on Paul George’s status in the NBA. But what he revealed in an episode of ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ blew everyone’s mind. Coming in as a guest, DeMarcus Cousins claimed that the Pelicans once thought about pairing him up with Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony.

“New Orleans was not guaranteed option. New Orleans couldn’t pull the trigger that fast. I did have a Pelicans jersey, that was the recruiting pitch,” said Anthony, confirming Cousins’ claim.

"I did have a Pelicans jersey, that was the recruiting pitch."

Melo, Boogie Cousins, AND Anthony Davis nearly formed the craziest big 3 in New Orleans @Xfinity pic.twitter.com/NpIZvQJomT
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) February 16, 2026

Surely, there is no telling that if the trade had happened, the Pelicans would have emerged as a staunch threat to the Warriors. However, due to some obvious reasons, the deal ultimately did not go through.

Why Was The Blockbuster Carmelo Anthony Deal Not Go Through?

Carmelo Anthony (Image Credits: Imagn)

Blockbuster deals in the NBA come with a lot of back-and-forth stories. In recent times, the Luka Doncic trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers shook the fans. But now, Mark Cuban has admitted that letting go of Doncic was a ‘mistake.’

In the case of the Pelicans, they were simply late. As per the retired NBA star, New Orleans took a substantial time to make a decision. Moreover, there were certain contract-related factors that plagued the trade, too. Thus, following his final session with the New York Knicks, the 10-time NBA All-Star was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017.

Fate plays a big role in making things happen. And for the Golden State Warriors, they were lucky that the Pelicans could not crack the code in time. As for Anthony, he is currently happy dissecting LeBron James and Co.’s impacts in the NBA circuit.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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