The Washington Wizards should roll the dice on DeMarcus Cousins

With a serious hole at the center position, the Washington Wizards continue to search for answers. Should they roll the dice on DeMarcus Cousins?

The Washington Wizards have a need. Where there should be a man in the middle, there stands no one right now.

It seems like it was only yesterday DeMarcus Cousins was absolutely bullying people down low as the leader of the Sacramento Kings. In just a few short years, however, Boogie’s illustrious career has become riddled with injuries, causing him to bounce around from contender to contender in hopes of returning to his previous superstar status.

Just a few days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers officially waived Cousins, who is currently nursing an ACL tear and was hoping to return to the court by the beginning of the postseason.

With a clear lack of depth and experience at the center position, the Washington Wizards have had a tough time grabbing boards and creating offense down low as of late. As Thomas Bryant continues to recover from various injuries, Ian Mahinmi and Moritz Wagner have had to step up into larger roles, and have had a tough time stifling defenders and creating offense

With Boogie now available on the market, the Wizards will undoubtedly take a look at Cousins this offseason, even if it doesn’t amount to a deal. Should the Washington Wizards pull the trigger? Here are some pros and cons of potentially signing DeMarcus Cousins.

Pro: Guidance for Thomas Bryant

As a 4-time NBA All-Star and All-American in college, DeMarcus Cousins would undoubtedly bring a ton of experience and leadership to the Wizards’ locker room if they were to jump on him.

For young center Thomas Bryant, who was thrown into the starting center job just 2 years into his playing career, Cousins’ presence would help tremendously. Not only would Bryant get temporary relief by sharing his minutes with Boogie, but would surely learn more than just a thing or two from the veteran big man.

For example, Bryant has sometimes struggled on the offensive glass for the Washington Wizards, something that DeMarcus Cousins excels at. In fact, of his 11 total seasons in the NBA according to Basketball-Reference, Cousins averaged over 10 rebounds per game for 8 of those years, and currently holds a career average of just under 11 rebounds per game.

Thomas Bryant is the future of the Wizards’ center position for the foreseeable future, so getting him the most experience possible will only help the Wizards going forward.

Con: Coming back from a slew of bad injuries

Over the course of just about two years, DeMarcus Cousins has sustained a torn ACL, a quad injury, and an Achilles tear, three extremely tough injuries to come back from.

Obviously, this raises valid questions with regards to if he can actually play with the same ferocity as he used to if the Washington Wizards pick him up. The last thing the Wizards want is to have another Dwight Howard situation, where a veteran sits on the bench for the majority of the season because of injury issues and is traded after doing little to nothing for the team.

The Achilles tear is what scares me the most. The Achilles injury is regarded as the worst basketball injury to sustain because of the recovery process and the likelihood of re-injury.

It’s hard to trust Cousins due to his recent injury issues. However…

Pro: The potential for absolute dominance

In the 2017-2018 season, just 2 years ago, DeMarcus Cousins was averaging 25 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game for the New Orleans Pelicans before his injury. Two years ago. 

Even if Cousins isn’t the same player he used to be, the Wizards need someone to step up down low if they’re going to make a playoff push next season. Cousins has proven his efficiency, energy, and aggressiveness on the court throughout his entire career, and would be a tremendous help to Beal and Company if healthy.

Even if it’s only for a season, or two, giving Boogie a chance to rekindle his career all while improving the Wizards’ odds of making the playoffs is a chance that I would be willing to take, especially considering his contract holds no long term restraints and is well within the Wizards’ budget.

Could you imagine Bradley Beal, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins all sharing the same floor? With Bertans and Rui? That’s not a playoff contender in the East next season?

Con: It’s unlikely Boogie leaves L.A.

While the Lakers waived Cousins for Markieff Morris, it has been reported that Cousins may still be linked to the Lakers for future seasons.

According to Mike Trudell, a beat reporter for the Lakers, Cousins will continue to be around the Lakers facility as he continues his rehabilitation process going forward despite not playing for the team.

Due to his ties with Anthony Davis and his “bond” with the Lakers, I don’t think it’s likely he leaves unless presented with a massive deal by another squad. Since the Wizards are highly unlikely to want to spend a ton of money especially on a veteran like Cousins, the chances of him actually becoming a Wizard are slim.

However, with Cousins on the market anything is possible, so keeping an eye on Boogie’s free agency dealings should be a priority for the Washington Wizards.