NBA Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins ‘Most Likely To Switch Teams’ After 2018-19 Season, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins made one of the biggest headlines of the 2018 NBA offseason when he signed a one-year, $5.3 million contract with the Golden State Warriors. Cousins revealed that he decided to call Warriors General Manager Bob Myers after receiving lack of interest in the recent free agency. Despite earning plenty of criticism, his recent decision will be beneficial for him and the Warriors.
The arrival of DeMarcus Cousins will address the Warriors’ only weakness, the center position, which will strengthen their chance of winning their third consecutive NBA championship next season. Though Cousins is expected to miss most of the 2018-19 NBA season, the Warriors are expected to have him back when the real battle begins in the Western Conference Playoffs. Having four NBA All-Stars as his teammates, there is no need for Cousins to rush his return.
Joining the Warriors will give him an opportunity to win his first championship ring and prove the league that he can return to his All-Star form. However, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Cousins’ stint in Golden State won’t last long. Pincus predicts the 28-year-old center as one of the NBA superstars who is “most likely to switch teams” in the summer of 2019.
DeMarcus Cousins will once again enter the free agency market after the 2018-19 NBA season, and if he manages to regain his All-Star level play, it is highly likely that he will demand a maximum contract next summer. Being buried deep in the luxury tax hell, the Warriors aren’t expected to throw a huge amount of money to bring Cousins back. Also, their top priorities next offseason are re-signing Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.
Warriors' DeMarcus Cousins back to dunking as he continues rehab from Achilles tear https://t.co/qS5lyPzvXH pic.twitter.com/ByxM0vxBuh
— NBA on Scoreboard Page (@NBAonSP) August 22, 2018
Tom Ziller of SB Nation shared the same sentiment as Pincus. He added that the only way Cousins and the Warriors will continue their partnership is if they fail to defend their throne next season.
“The bottom line: if he shows he can play like an NBA all-star despite the injury, some team not named the Warriors will give him a max contract in July, 2019. If for some reason it all goes wrong and he can’t play or can’t play well, or the Warriors fall just short, perhaps there’s an absolute longshot chance that Cousins and Golden State team up for a second season to make it right. But if things go right? Boogie will be getting paid, and not by the Warriors. It’s all quite clear: success will lead to Cousins’ exit.”
If DeMarcus Cousins plays well and proves that he is 100 percent recovered from injury, several NBA teams will surely express strong interest just to add him to their team. Pincus and Ziller believe that one of the top destinations for Cousins in the 2019 NBA free agency is the Los Angeles Lakers.
