NBA Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins Could Be Headed To The Washington Wizards This Summer
The Washington Wizards will head into the offseason asking themselves how and why? How could a team with so much talent only get as far as the 8th seed in a conference that has been deemed the weaker of the two? Although John Wall missed half the season, the Wizards were expected to be better than 8th. With the Toronto Raptors putting the Wiz in early summer vacation mode, the team will look to free agency and trades this offseason. And one name keeps popping up, DeMarcus Cousins.
According to C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, Cousins could end up in Washington to pair with his old college teammate Wall. While a few months ago this would seem almost impossible due to contracts, it’s now a reality thanks to the injury Cousins sustained right before the All-Star break.
There is a case the Boogie will jump into the market as a free agent and be a very hot commodity and could potentially team up with the Washington Wizards.
In 2017, while with the New Orleans Pelicans, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 47 percent from the floor. Boogie is one of the best big men in the NBA and for two reasons, the Wizards just may be the team to acquire his services.
One, the Wizards are relying on Marcin Gortat (33 years old) to continue to lead the charge in the post. while Gortat has put up respectable numbers over his career, his production has taken a dip. In 2017, Gortat averaged 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 25 minutes per while shooting 51 percent from the floor. This has been Gortat’s worse season as a starter and it may be time the Wizards look elsewhere for production.
Is DeMarcus Cousin A Good Fit With The Wizards?
Gortat is set to make $13 million in 2018 but if they can somehow trade him, they will be able to sign Cousins for the same considering his injury. While Cousins was on track to get a max deal, teams may be leery due to the severity of the injury. Studies show that a vast majority of NBA players struggle with an Achilles injury and it will be interesting to see if DeMarcus Cousins will be the exception or any statistic.
If the Washington Wizards are able to get Cousins for the cheap, a lineup with Cousin, Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr, and Markieff Morris will be good enough to challenge for top honors in the East.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
