DeMarcus Cousins to Sign With L.A. Clippers

DeMarcus Cousins is on to his next team.

The former 5th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky has seen a string of bad luck in the last three years. A former four-time NBA All-Star and two-time member of the All-NBA team, Cousins has bounced around the league while suffering one injury after another since 2018.

In his last stop, Cousins played for the Houston Rockets who were having issues with James Harden. He got caught up in the drama, struggled, and ended up getting released last February. It has been nearly two months since Boogie has been without a home. But he’s been putting up work and staying healthy, patiently waiting for a call.

DeMarcus Cousins is putting in work, looking healthy. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/PJQy1D5H8e

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 27, 2021

It looks like his phone has rung. According to ESPN, Cousins will sign with the L.A. Clippers after he clears the league’s health and safety protocols.

Waived by Houston

Cousins was waived by the struggling Houston Rockets in February after signing him to a one-year deal during the offseason. That was just the latest of the many setbacks he’s suffered over the last three seasons.

The 30-year-old Cousins was waived by the Houston Rockets in February and has been a free agent since. https://t.co/1KUdD24unh

— CBS Local Sports (@CBSLocalSports) March 31, 2021

After playing his first seven NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings, Boogie was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017. He tore his Achilles and rejected a two-year $40M extension from New Orleans. He opted to sign a one-year deal worth  $5.3M with Golden State where he tore his quadriceps. Next, he found himself signing with the Lakers for a $3.5M deal. He suffered a torn ACL during preseason and was waived. Then he was waived by Houston too, although he was healthy this season.

Boogie played in a total of 25 games for the Rockets this season. He saw 20.2 minutes of action per contest and averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game which was pretty much respectable. However, Cousins shot just 37.5% from the field and 33.6% from behind the three-point area.

Considering the time that Cousins missed due to injuries and everything that has happened around him, getting back to 100% health was already an achievement. His stint with Houston wasn’t at all that bad. It was just that he was in a bad situation and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. A change in scenery could help bring back the old fire. Cousins is only 30-year old and he was an All-Star in his last healthy season three years ago.

Together Again

The Clippers will be Cousins’ 5th team in the last three seasons and he will be teammates with Rajon Rondo for the third time in his NBA career. It can be recalled that the Clippers traded 6th man supreme Lou Williams to the Atlanta Hawks for Rondo at the trade deadline.

DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo are together again, this time with the LA Clippers.

Is the 3rd time the charm as they pursue an NBA title? pic.twitter.com/wC7YlohVK2

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 31, 2021

Rondo and Cousins first teamed up in Sacramento during the 2015-16 season. Rondo then followed Boogie to New Orleans during the 2017-18 campaign where they led the Pelicans to a first round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers before losing to the eventual champions Golden State Warriors in five games during the second round of the playoffs.

Cousins and Rondo were also signed on the Lakers’ 2020 championship team but never got to play together a single game after Cousins suffered an ACL tear and was later released.

The Lakers engraved Boogie’s name on their ring but there’s nothing like earning one, really. Cousins came close when he played for the Warriors in 2019 but after KD and Klay Thompson suffered injuries, they lost to the Raptors in the Finals.

The best NBA betting sites have kept the Clippers among the title favorites since Kawhi Leonard and Paul George teamed up last year. L.A.’s 2020 campaign ended in a second round defeat to the Denver Nuggets. This year, the Clippers made some changes, including the addition of Rondo. Hopefully, Cousins will last more than 10-days there so he can contribute as well.