DeMarcus Cousins is entering his first ever free agency with real uncertainty as his future is very much up in the air.The center is currently recovering from a torn Achilles and it's unclear if he'll re-sign with the New Orleans Pelicans.General manager Dell Demps said 'in a perfect world' he'd love to bring the big man back but stopped short of confirming that the Pels would make him an offer this summer.Cousins is seeking a max contract but with New Orleans already having $96 million guaranteed to the team next year, it'll be interesting to see if they choose to go over the tax for the former Sacramento Kings star, especially as he's out with a major injury.The 27-year-old raised doubts about his future with the franchise this week as he unfollowed the team on Instagram. When asked by a fan why he'd done so, he simply replied, "cause I'm grown". 

This sent Pelicans fans into a frenzy as they took it as an indication that he would be leaving the team in the offseason. 

But speaking openly about his free agency for the first time, the All-Star expressed a serious interest in staying with the team. 

"Oh yeah, for sure," he said when asked if he was interested in re-signing with the Pelicans, per The Undefeated.

"... Would I like to go back to New Orleans? I'm very open to that. I love what we created. I love what was created after I went down. I would love to be part of it. But I'm going to do what's best for me, and I feel they'll do the same."

Despite his season coming to an end in February, the Louisiana-based outfit still managed to make the playoffs and reach the conference semi-finals. 

This led to many people questioning if they were actually a better team without Boogie. The way they played in his absence will certainly factor into any decision made by the front office as they weigh up their options. 

Cousins stated that he'd ideally love to play for a contending team and "somewhere I’d be appreciated".

Before his injury, he averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game and formed a devastating frontcourt partnership with Anthony Davis this season. 

Normally, it would be a no-brainer for the Pelicans to re-sign a player with this type of production but his Achilles injury has made things more difficult. 

It'll leave the front office with a huge choice to make in terms of the future of the team in the coming years. 

Listen HERE to episode two of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring New York Times senior writer Marc Stein.

Enjoy, and please subscribe for all future episodes.