Getty Images Dwight Howard of the 76ers and DeMarcus Cousins of the Rockets speak before playing at Wells Fargo Center
For the Boston Celtics fans that have been waiting for years to see their favorite team acquire Houston Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins; it’s now or never.
The mercurial big man, three years removed from his last All-Star selection, is reportedly parting ways with Rockets. According to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania, Houston wants to go in a different direction.
The Houston Rockets and center DeMarcus Cousins are planning to part ways in coming days, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Houston wants to go smaller, younger in frontcourt when Christian Wood returns and this allows Cousins to find an opportunity elsewhere.
Rockets’ DeMarcus Cousins New Buyout Candidate
This surprising news dropped one day after the Rockets, who according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, guaranteed Cousin’s $2.3 million contract for the rest of the season. However, it does make sense for Houston’s long-term plans.
In the midst of his breakout season — averaging 22 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks — Christian Wood is a promising cornerstone center, to who the Rockets have heavily invested the future. He signed a three-year, $41 million deal, prior to the 2020-21 campaign.
Should The Celtics Pursue DeMarcus Cousins?
Given the Celtics are desperately in the market to upgrade their frontcourt, if you’re Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, should you be considering bringing Cousins to Boston? Ainge, who in a recent interview mentioned acquiring a player with size, who can stretch the floor for the Celtics; Ainge should consider turning to DeMarcus to relieve some of the Celtics’ defensive deficiencies.
If adding Cousins into the fold gives Boston an edge against the likes of Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat or Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, Ainge will take a flyer on Boogie, but he may also have to wait in line. For every low-risk, high-reward buyout candidate in the NBA, especially the better ones, there’s a returning champion open to the idea of adding extra muscle.
The champion Los Angeles Lakers are already lurking. According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Lakers are mentioned as one of many teams interested in adding Cousins.
“Sources: The Lakers will be among the teams to pursue DeMarcus Cousins,” O’Connor tweeted out Saturday. “The market will be limited for Cousins, sources say. He has struggled this year after returning from multiple major injuries. But for LA or any team in need of big man depth, few options bring higher upside.”
Would DeMarcus Cousins Make The Celtics Better?
I agree with KOC. Unfortunately for the Celtics, other viable options are either not much better than the three-headed monster — Daniel Theis, Tristan Thompson, and Robert Williams — currently manning the middle for Stevens or, come with a hefty price tag.
For the Celtics fans drooling over the Atlanta Hawks’ young stud in John Collins; Ainge would have to add one of Stevens’ core pieces to even get the conversation started and then look forward to locking Collins in on a max-deal during the offseason when he’ll be a restricted free agent. Andre Drummond is another interesting option that’s been reportedly tied with the Celtics in recent weeks.
It’s most likely Ainge will gauge the asking price for Drummond before even thinking about reeling in Cousins. However, if Plan A fails, and the options remain slim, DeMarcus is not a bad Plan B.
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