Amid all the talk about free agency plans involving Golden State Warriors stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, one name that’s landed on the backburner is DeMarcus Cousins. While Cousins signed a one year deal with the Warriors this past offseason, there are questions about what his future may look like.
If you believe in reading into comments, it appears Cousins may be heading elsewhere in free agency. On Saturday, the Warriors big man sent a message thanking the fans and his teammatesn on Twitter while also offering some love to recently-injured stars Durant and Thompson.
His final line of the tweet is what really stood out, though, and may point to Boogie’s 2019-20 season beginning in a new uniform.
. @KDTrey5 and @KlayThompson get healthy killas true definition of warriors! #dubnation thank you for all the support this season. You guys are amazing fans. Look forward to getting 100% healthy this summer. I’m at ya necks next season! 😤 🦍
“Look forward to getting 100% healthy this summer. I’m at ya necks next season!”
That line jumped off the page, and immediately led to speculation about Cousins potentially gearing up to face the Warriors next season, as opposed to teaming up with them again. Obviously, much of that decision could come down to the simple fact that Golden State is unlikely to be able to offer Cousins much money on a new deal, especially with the latest rumblings around Durant and Thompson.
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Warriors to Offer Max Extensions to Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson?
When Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and Thompson went down with a torn ACL just days later, the concern was obviously high, specifically about their futures. Both players are likely to receive max contract extensions this offseason, and it appears that will still be the case.
According to Brian Windhorst on ESPN’s First Take, the Warriors intend to offer both Durant and Thompson five-year max deals.
“It is my understanding in talking to people with the Warriors organization is that their intention is to continue and offer Kevin Durant a full five-year max contract and to offer Klay a full five-year max contract,” Windhorst said.
Going beyond that, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Thompson’s father said there’s “no question” his son will stay with the Warriors.
Just spoke with Klay Thompson’s father, Mychal, who said there’s “no question” Klay will re-sign with the Warriors. Golden State is expected to still offer him a full five-year maximum deal.
Assuming these two things play out and both players accept the offers, it would lead to Cousins almost certainly heading elsewhere in free agency.
DeMarcus Cousins’ Free Agency Outlook
On a positive note, Cousins did state that he’s “open” to the idea of re-signing with the Warriors on Friday, as The Athletic’s Anthony Slater revealed. With that said, the financial side of things may be tough to overcome.
Realistically, if Cousins is able to get a decent-sized deal on the open market, it’s hard to envision him taking another short-term offer or far less money to remain in Golden State. That hasn’t been set in stone or reported, but a few teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, have been included in chatter related to the talented big man.
Health will be a major talking point about Cousins once free agency begins, as he missed roughly half the 2018-19 season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Then during the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Cousins went down with a torn left quadriceps and while he returned during the NBA Finals, posted a few up-and-down performances while surely playing at less than 100 percent.
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Did DeMarcus Cousins Reveal Free Agency Plans in Tweet to Warriors?