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UPDATE
According to Shams, it is in fact a torn quad muscle for DeMarcus Cousins, though it may not require surgery:
This is probably season-ending for Cousins, but he and the team will see how he responds within the first two weeks of rehab that is not expected to require surgery, sources said. https://t.co/OctIgrMHOS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2019
Hopefully, Cousins will be healthy when free agency begins in July, but this will undoubtedly hurt his stock yet again as he looks to sign a major deal with someone.
Life can be cruel. DeMarcus Cousins could be learning that the hard way, again.
As you’ll recall, Cousins suffered a torn Achilles right before he was set to hit free agency last summer, which effectively cost him over $100 million had he signed a max contract. He ultimately signed a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Warriors in hopes of having a rebound 2018-19 season that would net him a major deal this summer while compete for an NBA title.
Things were going smoothly as Cousins worked his way back from the torn Achilles and became an impact player for Golden State heading into the playoffs.
But it appears Cousins’ season has once again ended due to a significant injury.
During Monday’s playoff loss to the Clippers, Cousins suffered a leg injury early in the contest while diving for a loose ball.
There's significant concern that DeMarcus Cousins has suffered a torn left quad, but there won't be complete certainty until his MRI on Tuesday, league sources tell ESPN. The hope is that it's just a strain.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 16, 2019
This came on the same night Cousins was named to the 2019 UK Athletics Hall of Fame. Adding insult to injury, the Warriors went on to blow a 31-point lead and are now tied 1-1 with the Clippers heading back to LA.
If it is indeed a tear, it will require another long recovery period that would undoubtedly cost him big in free agency yet again.
If it’s just a strain, it still could cost him the rest of the playoffs, but at least he’d be healthy for the start of training camp next season, and he’d still get a nice payday in free agency.
We can only hope.