DeMarcus Cousins missed the entirety of the 2019-20 NBA season due to a torn ACL. Since tearing his Achilles in January 2018, the talented center has dealt with a bevy of injury issues that have derailed what was once an extremely promising career.
Despite the concerns that inevitably accompany Cousins, he is still getting a fair amount of interest in free agency this year. With centers being something of a hot commodity after the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship, his skill set (when he is healthy) aligns well with what many organizations need.
According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Cousins is receiving “some early attention” 24 hours into the official commencement of free agency.
At the moment there seem to be three legitimate suitors for Cousins’ services: the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Lakers.
According to The Athletic NBA insider Kelly Iko, Rockets brass reached out to Cousins’ camp this week for preliminary conversations.
“In addition to Christian Wood, the Rockets spoke with Demarcus Cousins’ camp earlier today,” he wrote. “Houston is exploring the big man market.”
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Although everyone is writing Houston off as a rebuilding team, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are presently still on the roster. There is no guarantee that they will be moved any time soon, and if the team goes into 2020-21 with its current roster in place, adding a center with Cousins’ abilities makes a lot of sense.
Along the same lines, Golden State is still very much in the market for someone like Cousins. According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, the team drafting Memphis big man James Wiseman will not preclude them from chasing a vet center presence.
“Adding Wiseman will not prevent the Warriors from seeking another ‘big.’ Already have their eyes on at least four,” he tweeted.
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Cousins and the Warriors’ front office have a great relationship, and he would be a natural pick-up.
Finally, don’t sleep on the Lakers. Losing Dwight Howard to free agency was obviously offset by the addition of Montrezl Harrell. That said, a healthy Cousins would be a huge upgrade over JaVale McGee. Depending on what sort of competition is out there for Cousins’ services, it’s debatable whether LA could really bring enough to the table for a potential deal. But if they can get this done, they should.
Prior to injuries taking a sledgehammer to his career, Cousins was at one point arguably the best center in the NBA. He averaged 21.5 points, 11 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per outing during stints with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.
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In 2019, after coming back from an Achilles injury, he averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds with the Warriors.
If Cousins can stay healthy, he can be a difference maker for any of the teams that currently have interest in him.
Can he actually stay healthy, though? That’s the million dollar question.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
