NBA Rumors: Coach Steve Kerr Reveals Chances Warriors Will Bring DeMarcus Cousins Back In 2019 Free Agency
Last summer, DeMarcus Cousins surprised everyone in the league when he decided to take a massive discount and signed with the Golden State Warriors. Cousins joined the Warriors with the hope of winning his first NBA championship and increasing his value in preparation for the 2019 NBA free agency. Unfortunately, Cousins fell short of achieving his goals.
Aside from failing to win a championship ring, Cousins may not even receive a max contract offer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next July. With Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson also hitting the free agency market, Cousins isn’t expected to be a top priority for the Warriors in the 2019 NBA offseason. However, despite being buried deep in the luxury tax hell, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a recent interview with NBC Sports that they are not closing their doors on a potential reunion with Cousins this summer.
“I think there’s a chance,” Kerr said. “I would say that the hope is that frankly he can do a lot better financially than what we could offer him. But who knows. Every year is different. We have to figure out our own situation — particularly with Klay [Thompson] and Kevin [Durant] — and how all that shakes out. But I could absolutely foresee a place for DeMarcus here if he wanted to come back. It’s just a question of what are his goals, what is out there for him.”
DeMarcus Cousins: 'I'm open' toward re-signing with the Warriors https://t.co/iJVfdjqjcb
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 14, 2019
As Kerr mentioned, the possibility of DeMarcus Cousins’ return to Golden State will likely depend on two things. First is his goal. If he’s still aiming to win his first NBA championship, Cousins will be better off staying with the Warriors’ team that has been to the NBA Finals for the last five years and brought home three Larry O’Brien Trophies. Second is the interest he will be getting on the free agency market.
Cousins may have failed to regain his All-Star form, but he still managed to finish the 2018-19 NBA season with impressive statistics. In 30 games he played, the 28-year-old center averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 48.0 percent shooting from the field. If Cousins receives a better offer from another title contender, there’s a strong chance that he will be leaving Golden State in the 2019 NBA free agency period.
In an interview with The Mercury News, DeMarcus Cousins revealed his plan to entertain offers from other NBA teams next July, but he said that he remains “open” to returning to the Warriors for another season.
“It was a weird summer last summer. So you never know how things work out,” Cousins said. “I’m open and I’ll make the best decision for myself and my family. We’ll see which way the wind blows.”
