Wednesday Quickies: DeMarcus Cousins Free Agency Edition

The beloved former Wildcat is still waiting to sign a deal.

By Zac Oakes@ZacOakes Jul 3, 2019, 6:40am EDT

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Toronto Raptors

It wasn’t that long ago that DeMarcus Cousins was among the top big men in the NBA.

He was dominant with the Sacramento Kings, regularly recording double-doubles and had numbers among the best in the league. Then, a trade to the New Orleans Pelicans where he teamed up with fellow former Wildcat Anthony Davis. Cousins proved his worth there and was likely well on his way to signing a max contract that summer.

Then the Achilles injury.

This year was supposed to be Boogie’s “prove it” year for the rest of the league. He signed a one-year contract with the Warriors, a team that didn’t need to rush him back and where he could easily transition back into the game without being the focal point of an offense.

But Cousins struggled to return to old form, and then more injuries came along, topped off with an NBA Finals performance that was less-than-desirable.

Now, Cousins is on the market again and he won’t be going back to Golden State. It looks like the market is shoring up for the former #5 overall pick.

Cousins will once again likely sign another one-year deal in an effort to prove he is worth a long-term contract with a lot more money involved. Right now though, it’s unclear where that will be and just how much he will sign for.

Very few teams have a lot of cap space left. Cousins could potentially join the Lakers on a minimum deal, where he will be playing with AD, LeBron James, and possibly Kawhi Leonard. Dallas could be an option, as could the Clippers and possibly the Heat. Maybe a return to Sacramento?

Who knows, but it is a situation you hate to see unfold for Cousins. He has developed somewhat of a negative reputation in the NBA, but Kentucky fans know the person he is and it is hard to see him go from where he was to where he is now.

I think Cousins still has a lot left in the tank and can be a valuable piece for a contender. The first year back from a devastating injury is always extremely difficult, and I would expect Cousins to improve noticeably in his second year back. Hopefully a team will give him an offer soon and he can prove the doubters wrong.

Tweets of the Day

Keldon Johnson
29 pts (10-17 FG) (3-4 3pt FG)
(14 pts in the 4th quarter)
7 rebs
1 ast
3 stls
1 blk
25 minutes pic.twitter.com/U17owjT9Lq
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) July 3, 2019