DeMarcus Cousins, Houston Rockets
Everything seems to be falling apart this offseason for the Rockets. First, Houston traded Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards and now James Harden seemingly won’t show up to training camp. The Rockets do have one last effort in contending for a championship with their star players and it is by signing DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year, $2.33M non-guaranteed deal.
In 2018, Cousins tore his left Achilles, in 2019, he suffered a torn quad muscle, and last season, he suffered a torn ACL in a workout with the Lakers. Those are three major injuries in a span of 18-months and there are a lot of question marks on if DeMarcus Cousins can even still play in the NBA. That’s why the Rockets were able to sign him for so cheap.
One thing about Cousins though is that he is a fighter and a former four-time All-Star who not only wants to play again, but play at a high-level and be a contributor for a contender like the Rockets. This is why he signed with the Warriors in 2018 and the Lakers in 2019. DeMarcus Cousins wants to prove everyone doubting him wrong and pairing up with James Harden and John Wall with the Rockets is a great fit for the 30-year old big man.
From 2014 through 2018, Cousins was one of the most dominant centers in the entire NBA as he could score in the paint, from the perimeter, would grab every rebound, and was one of the NBA’s top shot-blockers. That upside is quite intriguing for this Rockets team. There is no certainty of if DeMarcus Cousins can even be part of what he used to be, which is why the Rockets signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.
There were not many former All-Stars that were free agents this offseason and while many teams passed up on signing Cousins, the Rockets saw this as an opportunity to keep their core intact. Over the course of his 9-year career, Cousins has averaged 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
If DeMarcus Cousins can come back from his injuries and perform at this kind of level, the Rockets will be one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. Regardless, it remains to be seen whether his presence in a best-case scenario can get James Harden to stay long-term with the Rockets.
