DeMarcus Cousins has insisted playing for the Golden State Warriors, on a one-year deal for mere $5.6 million, is "a chess move." He was on a mission to prove he remains a winner, and that he can do his share in winning an NBA title. Cousins would surely love having an NBA ring but he dismissed the suggestions he is a chaser.
When the Warriors faced the Toronto Raptors at the 2019 NBA Finals, Cousins had some shining moments. He was hustling on the board, recovering loose balls and at times converting them into much-needed points. There was no doubt the limited minutes that were allocated to Cousins on the court boosted the GSW.
But Cousins' best was not enough. The Warriors have been dethroned and the series only proved one thing, that Cousins is no longer part of the NBA's future. The Boogie while still effective is an old-school center, the type that "the league is continuously moving away from," according to Bleacher Report.
The 2019 NBA Free Agency is expected to see a number of All-Stars attracting multi-million contract offers. The same report said Cousins might be looking to secure a $100 million super-max, and there will not be a shortage of team with that cash. The problem is not one is likely to even give Cousins a second look. They are convinced the big man's skill set is of the Jurassic era, and not to mention the valid fear that his full recovery from injury woes might not happen at all.
One unnamed NBA executive, according to Bleacher Report, flatly put it: "I doubt he gets what he wants."
That being the case, the Boogie has limited options before him. There were talks of the Los Angeles Lakers studying the possibility of acquiring Cousins, as a reserve to the superstar lineup headlined by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
But in truth, Cousins need not look beyond where he is at right now. The Warriors badly need an imposing presence inside the paint, and this was further highlighted by the fact that the injured Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson will miss the entire Season 2019-20.
Even Steve Kerr, the Warriors' head tactician, is open to the idea of Cousins staying for another season with the Dubs. But Kerr was clear that such a scenario will all hinge on Cousins' plans as he admitted: "that he can do a lot better financially than what we could offer him."
"I could absolutely foresee a place for DeMarcus here if he wanted to come back ... It's just a question of what are his goals? What's out there for him?" Kerr was reported by NBC Sports as saying.
Cousins returning to the Warriors for next season might prove too big of a gamble on the part of the team but it might just work out for the two parties. For the Warriors, the Boogie trusted with more playing time can still deliver. For Cousins, staying put might give him the opportunity to start on the road to resurgence and perhaps gain the bonus of finally owning an NBA ring.
