Veteran big man Demarcus Cousins is still available in the free agent market, and the Washington Wizards should seriously consider signing him for the 2022-2023 season.
Six-time All-Star Demarcus Cousins is still available on the free agent market and very much is hoping to be added to a team this season. In a Wednesday interview with Yahoo Sports, the 12-year veteran spoke about his desire to get another opportunity in the association, and his hope that a franchise will give him a chance to show the type of player he has evolved into at 32 years old, and three years removed from ACL surgery.
“It would mean everything in the world to me to be back in the NBA. I know I belong in this league. I feel like I’ve paid my dues and earned my stripes. I’ve hit some bumps in the road with injuries and I’ve always worked my way back to being 100 percent healthy. I’ve worked my tail off to get back to this point.
“I just want the opportunity to show the work I’ve put in and continue to put in. I also just want an opportunity to also earn my keep and that’s all I really want. I have a lot left in the tank. A whole lot. I feel like I’ve actually become an even better player, just sharpening all my skills. I’ve had nothing but time in the gym. I’ve gotten better in all aspects of my game.”
Demarcus Cousins on hopes for NBA return
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A motivated Cousins could be a great addition for many NBA squads in need of a veteran big who can offer size and scoring. One team that could certainly benefit from having him on the team is the Washington Wizards. Let’s look at three reasons why he would be a good fit in D.C.
Washington Wizards would benefit from the addition of Demarcus Cousins
Despite not having a roster with a bevy of superstars, the Wizards, unfortunately, hardly have any cap space and they have used up all of their exceptions. However, with the team having a surplus of wingmen, it would make sense for them to move players Rui Hachimura and/or Deni Avdija to free up the cap space to sign the former Sacramento Kings star. They should do that for these three reasons.
Starting Kristaps Porzingis at the center is a dangerous proposition
If you have followed Kristaps Porzingis’ career you know staying healthy has been a constant problem for the 7-foot-3 talent from Latvia. Obviously, small ball in the NBA has become normal ball but expecting Porzingis not to avoid more injuries playing at the one position in the league that still demands a great deal of physicality is a disaster waiting to happen.
Signing someone like Cousins would offer a far better fill-in option than Daniel Gifford and Taj Gibson, as well as force “KP” to play far fewer minutes at a position for.
Wizards need more veteran voices
Outside of Taj Gibson, Will Barton is the only player that is likely to be a part of the rotation that is over 30 years old. Sure, Bradley Beal is a guy that has been around the block, but overall this is not a well-tenured group. That certainly has pros, but there are benefits of having well-established veterans on a roster.
Cousins is only 32 and there is good reason to believe he does still have a lot left as he’s suggested. While uber-veteran Gibson is 37 and could be out of the league at any moment. Cousins would not only bring a veteran voice, but he is a greybeard who could still legitimately be a contributor to a competitive environment for a young group.
Washington is in need of more scoring
Outside of Beal, the Wizards don’t have many reliable scorers. Porzingins has 20 points per game potential, but he is bound to miss a bunch of games at some point. After that, Will Barton and Monte Morris are strong second and third-level scorers on the roster. Meaning they can use all the additional proven scoring they can get.
Cousins’ recent numbers are nothing spectacular. In 2021-2022 he averaged nine points and just under six rebounds over 15 minutes during stints in Milwaukee and Denver. However, if you extrapolate that over 20-25 minutes, Cousins being a double-double talent is feasible. And that is the type of player the team lacks currently.