2. DeMarcus Cousins
Age: 28
Position: C
2018-19 salary: $5.3 million
Status: Unrestricted free agent
The natural argument as it pertains to signing DeMarcus Cousins is that with a half-season of rehab under his belt, he will very soon be able to transition back to the player who became a four-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist.
Returning to the fray on Jan. 18 for the Golden State Warriors after almost 12 months on the sidelines due to a torn left Achilles, Boogie nonetheless handled himself with aplomb considering the difficult nature of the injury. However, just two games into his first ever playoff series, Cousins suffered a torn left quadriceps, thus pulling back his on-court rehabilitation efforts even further.
https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/1139958432822222849
While he managed to return to the court in time for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he was a shell of his former self, lacking the requisite spring and explosiveness to make any meaningful impact in the series.
https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1113515006761549824
While the futures of Kevin Durant and Klay Thomson remain undecided, so to does Cousins’. With the Warriors not holding his Bird rights, a return to the Bay Area is completely up in the air.
Given the manner in which the NBA title odds have opened up following the injuries to Durant and Thompson, it’s very conceivable that a team that feels it may be able to push through to the next level, offering Cousins a deal based on past performance.