DeMarcus Cousins‘ NBA career has been hijacked by an Achilles injury that he suffered during his tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans. Cousins was arguably the best center in the entire league and was well on his way to a massive contract from some team in the league.
Then he tore his Achilles in January 2017. He got a one-year contract from the Golden State Warriors for the following season and appeared in some late-season games and playoff games, showing flashes of the old Boogie but not completely putting it all together.
He then signed another one-year ‘prove-it’ contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and the idea of Cousins alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis was exciting. However, the injury bug caught back up to Cousins and he tore his ACL in a Las Vegas workout prior to the season.
There were hopes that Cousins could come back late in the year or in the playoffs but that ultimately was not meant to be. The Lakers released Cousins, however, were allowing him to train and recover using their facilities.
While there is a chance that he could return to the Los Angeles Lakers, it is not a guarantee.
While this gesture could mean that the Lakers are looking to re-sign Cousins after releasing him for a roster spot, that is not a foregone conclusion. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that it is more likely that the Lakers re-sign Dwight Howard than it is Cousins, so Boogie might need to find a new home next season.
He could return to the Lakers, but if he doesn’t, here are the possible free-agent fits for the big man.