NBA free agency: 5 possible destinations for DeMarcus Cousins

NBA free agency destination No. 3: Detroit Pistons

If Cousins has trouble finding a landing spot on a contending team due to his health issues, one team that could be in need of his services is the Detroit Pistons.

Christian Wood turned into a serviceable young big man this past year during his first season in Detroit, but there isn’t much behind him as far as depth, and Wood is a free agent. Cousins could provide a body down low for the Pistons in a year in which they may be desperate for a center, and it would give him a chance to showcase his talents. He would immediately receive minutes off of the bench as a scoring option for the second unit, giving him the necessary reps to begin rebuilding his career.

As our friend Nicolas Henkel (@NicolasHenkel) over at Piston Powered pointed out, a Cousins signing would at least be fun and entertaining. Detroit has been avoiding a “rebuild” and instead has gone with the phrase “retool” in order to keep the fans coming to games, and signing Cousins would fall right into that mindset. Henkel went on say that if Cousins did in fact play well, he could become trade bait for a contending team that is willing to trade future assets to Detroit. This would make it a win for all parties involved.

The Pistons certainly have the capital to spend. While Cousins won’t be demanding a large payday, Detroit could fill out their roster and still afford to take a shot on signing the embattled big man. Because of that, this is where I’d put my money on a landing spot for Cousins.