Why signing DeMarcus Cousins could be highly important for Rockets

The Houston Rockets have been the talk of the NBA offseason for all of the wrong reasons. Not only did they decide to take the franchise in a new direction after parting ways with head coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey, but now their two former league MVPs want out of Houston. Could the DeMarcus Cousins signing help turn things around?

According to reports from ESPN, James Harden turned down a contract extension that would pay him $50M/year and has made it clear he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Russell Westbrook, as reported by Shams Charnia, also wants out of Houston and has no desire to return and be a part of the Rockets’ rebuild. 

Whether or not the Rockets decide to move on from their two All-Star guards, they still went out and tried to make moves to keep the Rockets as a playoff team in the Western Conference. After trading forward Robert Covington to the Trail Blazers, Houston signed big man Christian Wood to a three-year, $41M deal. With Daryl Morey gone, the “small-ball” philosophy is also dead and Houston brought in Wood to be a low-post threat offensively, as well as an aggressive player who goes up for every rebound. 

However, the biggest name the Rockets brought in this offseason is former NBA All-Star, DeMarcus Cousins. In 2018, “Boogie” Cousins tore his left Achilles, in 2019, he suffered a torn quad muscle, and last season, he suffered a torn ACL in a workout with the Lakers. Those are three major injuries in a span of 18-months and there are a lot of question marks on if DeMarcus Cousins can even still play in the NBA! 

From 2014-2018, Cousins was one of the most dominant centers in the entire NBA as he could score in the paint, from the perimeter, would grab every rebound, and was one of the league’s top shot-blockers. There is no certainty of if DeMarcus Cousins can even be part of what he used to be, which is why the Rockets signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.

Cousins will have to prove himself to revive his career but it is not a bad idea at all for the Rockets to give him a shot. Here are three reasons why signing DeMarcus Cousins could make a difference for the Rockets.

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