Last season, DeMarcus Cousins suffered a brutal injury setback prior to what would have been his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Cousins was excited to get back on the court but after tearing his ACL, he had to miss the entire season, leaving his NBA career in limbo. Throughout the course of the season, Cousins stayed in contact with the Los Angeles Lakers, leading many to believe he would ultimately re-sign with the team come free agency.
On Friday, free agency officially began and many fully expected Cousins to come back to the Lakers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, however, Cousins has decided to go elsewhere and is now expected to sign a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets.
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This has been an odd free agency cycle for the Rockets who have been dealing with Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Both players reportedly want out and are hoping to be traded prior to the season. Despite this, the Rockets have stated that they are more than willing to hang on to their superstars and continue on with business as usual.
This Cousins signing is perhaps an indicator that the team wants to convince Westbrook and Harden to stay. While Cousins injury issues are cause for concern, there is no denying he is an effective player when healthy and if Harden and Westbrook somehow stay, perhaps these three can become a more than effective trio.
