By JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER
Published: 14:30 EST, 13 November 2025 | Updated: 14:30 EST, 13 November 2025
Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins believes that a pair of NBA teams located in the south should be relocated in the near future.
An NBA team has not relocated since the New Jersey Nets moved across three rivers to Brooklyn in 2012. The last time a team has been moved out of a market entirely was when the Seattle SuperSonics were moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But before the Thunder's move, the last two teams to relocate were the Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans and the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis. Cousins believes both those teams should start packing once again.
On an episode of the 'Run It Back' podcast, Cousins pointed to how the Memphis Grizzlies and now-named New Orleans Pelicans are declining in fan base.
'I think it's time,' said Cousins. 'I think it was time five to six years ago.
'You go to the games, and there are about 36 people there. Popcorn is a dollar. Courtside’s $25.'
NBA champion DeMarcus Cousins thinks the Grizzlies and Pelicans should look to relocate
Both Memphis and New Orleans were bottom-six in NBA attendance in 2025
Cousins, a former NBA champion who played for the Pelicans in 2017 and 2018, added, 'There's not really much going on. There's not much success happening for just that part of it. It's time. Blow it up, move on. There are no fans.'
The Pelicans have the sixth-lowest average attendance in the league, according to Sports Business Journal. Memphis is below them at fourth-lowest.
While the Pelicans' average attendance fell 2.8 percent from the prior season, the Grizzlies' attendance actually rose 0.2 percent.
The NBA doesn't seem likely to expand after just signing a $76billion television rights deal.
So, if cities like Seattle or Las Vegas were to get franchises, it would most likely be through relocation.
As reported by Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, relocation is the league's 'preferred method' to get teams in both those cities.
Mannix added, 'While no league official would come within 100 miles of publicly naming relocation candidates, the Grizzlies and Pelicans - small-market teams with arena deals that expire before the end of the decade - are often whispered as the most likely targets.'
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