The Golden State Warriors made the best starting five in basketball even better on Monday when they agreed to a deal with DeMarcus Cousins, but the All-Star center may not be spending very long in his new home.
Cousins will sign a one-year deal with the Warriors for the $5.3 million midlevel exception, and his ultimate goal is to win a championship while proving he is fully recovered from the torn Achilles that ended his 2017-2018 season prematurely. But, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.com notes, Golden State is unlikely to find a way to keep him next summer.
DeMarcus Cousins is unlikely to stay with the Warriors beyond one year. They don't have his Bird rights, so GS can't go over the cap to keep him and the most they can offer is a 120% raise. Next summer, he's likely gone. We discussed this here: https://t.co/QogDMutuAj
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 3, 2018
Cousins may not be cleared to play until December or January, but there’s little chance of him signing another low-money deal in a year if he proves he’s anything close to the player who averaged 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds in 48 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season. He claims there was very little interest in his services this offseason, but that seems like an exaggeration.
Achilles injuries are always difficult for big men to recover from, so Cousins’ health shouldn’t be taken for granted. That said, he’s only 27 and is now in a situation where he doesn’t have to rush back. The short-money deal he took was surprising, but he took it with the right team.
