DeMarcus Cousins needs to be smart about selecting his next landing spot
Before DeMarcus Cousins even got to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Then, he was waived by the team after the NBA Trade Deadline to make room for Markieff Morris. Heading into the 2020 offseason, he’ll be a free agent once again. A place that he probably would not have expected just a few years ago.
Nevertheless, after recovering from another major injury (he suffered a torn Achilles back in 2018), it’ll be imperative that Cousins is extremely selective as he pinpoints the next step of his career. When the 2020-21 NBA season begins, Cousins will be 30 years old. Despite his recent injuries, there’s still a chance he can return to something close to the player he was before the injury.
That means Cousins could still be close to the all-star-talent that he was in 2018, before the injury. But he needs to be in the right situation in order for him to be put in that position.
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Even though signing Cousins in 2020 won’t have the same weight as signing Cousins in 2017 would have, he’s still a good player at this point in his career. And there will be, at the very least, a few suitors for his services. Especially when you consider that he’ll likely be able to be signed at a huge discount.
The Lakers are expected to be at least somewhat interested, the Miami Heat are another team that is currently interested, and John Wall is trying to get the Washington Wizards in on that action as well. And there will unquestionably be more teams that will be interested in Cousins, especially if it’s on a short, prove-it type deal.
Though, Cousins needs to pick the organization that will put him in the best position to allow him to resurrect his career. Does that mean doing so while also competing for a championship with the Lakers? Perhaps. Ideally. Though, that might not be the case.
Is it with the Heat? Maybe. With the Wizards, with an old face? Could be. But that’s a decision that only Cousins and his team can make.
The last time we saw Cousins on the floor playing real NBA basketball, he was with the Golden State Warriors in which he averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 48 percent shooting from the field in 30 games during the 2018-19 season.
Even after a torn Achilles, the talent was still very much in Cousins. Will that be the case when he returns from his most recent injury? Who knows. But when he does return to action, it’ll be important that he does so with the right franchise and in the right system.
The hope is that we see DeMarcus Cousins back in action and back on top of his game sooner rather than later. At this point, though, it’s difficult to predict where that will be. And that’s OK.