Rockets sign all-star center DeMarcus Cousins from the Lakers

DeMarcus Cousins (Michael Tipton, Wikimedia Commons)

The Houston Rockets have signed all-star center DeMarcus Cousins of Mobile, Alabama to a one-year contract worth $2.3 million according to Spotrac on Monday. The 30-year- old did not play in the National Basketball Association last season. He had signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6, 2019. However, he then tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a preseason workout with Los Angeles just over a month later, and before the season was to begin.

Cousins played with three teams in the NBA from 2010 to 2019. He was with the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors.

A four-time NBA All-Star, Cousins represented the Kings thrice at the All-Star Game, and the Pelicans once. He had a career-high 27 points per game while sharing his time with the Kings and Pelicans in the 2016-17 season.

Cousins has also been known throughout his professional career for being a strong rebounder. In 565 NBA games, Cousins has averaged a double double, with 21.2 points per game, and 10.9 rebounds. In 2011-12 with the Kings, Cousins led the NBA with 265 offensive rebounds.

One area of Cousins’s game that has always been a detriment is his lack of discipline. Three times in his career, Cousins has led all players in a single season in personal fouls. He had 332 personal fouls in his rookie season with the Kings in 2010-11, 257 personal fouls in 2011-12 with Sacramento, and then 278 fouls while playing for Sacramento and New Orleans in 2016-17. In all, he has 2175 personal fouls, which is an average of 3.85 personal fouls per game.

With the Rockets, Cousins is expected to share time in Houston with P.J. Tucker at the center position. The amount of minutes Cousins will get this season should come down to two factors–his health and behaviour.

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