Although the Rockets and DeMarcus Cousins intend to amicably part ways, it’s possible the veteran center hasn’t played his last game for the team yet. Addressing the Cousins situation on Sunday, head coach Stephen Silas said the 30-year-old was still at practice and that the plan was to have him continue to start at center as long as he remains on Houston’s roster, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
Cousins’ representatives and the Rockets are working on a potential trade or release that would get the big man to a team of his choosing. Other players in similar situations, like Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin, are being held out of action while their teams look to finalize a resolution, but Silas’ comments indicated the Rockets aren’t necessarily committed to that same approach.
Still, Cousins’ availability in the coming days will hinge in large part on his health. He has been ruled out for Monday’s game due to a sore right heel and it’s safe to assume the Rockets will be very cautious with the big man as they explore the trade market in search of a potential deal.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- With the Grizzlies‘ roster getting a little healthier, the team has sent two-way player Sean McDermott to the G League bubble, transferring him to the Memphis Hustle (Twitter link). McDermott has been a depth option on the wing for the Grizzlies this season, appearing in just eight games, so he’ll see more frequent playing time for the Hustle.
- The Spurs also made a pair of G League transactions, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve recalled guard Tre Jones and forward Luka Samanic from the Austin Spurs. Jones had been leading the G League with 9.7 assists per game, while Samanic ranked in the top six in the NBAGL in both PPG (21.8) and RPG (11.3).
- The Pelicans continue to gradually increase the number of fans allowed at the Smoothie King Center, issuing a press release today confirming that capacity will increase to 2,700 as of Wednesday. New Orleans, whose previous capacity was 1,900 fans, hope to bump that number up to 4,000+ by season’s end.
The pelicans home court is called “smoothie king center”? Haha no wonder they can’t win even with a nice paper roster
You gotta wonder… how much is Smoothie King worth. I mean naming rights ain’t cheap.
+400M in 2018 revenues. To buy a franchise with Smoothie King, you’ll need to have at least $100,000 in liquid capital and a minimum net worth of $300,000.
Not bad for blending fruit, juice, and ice.
I doubt your team can handle playing in the Big Blender
The Big Blender gonna shake y’all up!
Wow even damn smoothies get hate on this site wow h8rs in all directions! Go drink some fresh fruit n chill
I hate chilling.
Dont triggr me bro
Then you definitely aren’t a smoothie
The Rockets are going to be very cautious with Cousins while they look to facilitate a trade. LOL He is a min contract guy, what is his trade value? A top 60 protected second round pick in 2025?
His trade value is much higher than Griffin’s (which is negative). Obviously they won’t get much for him, but the fact that he is on a minimum contract makes him him an appealing option for teams looking for a backup center.
I agree. He may be had for a second rounder if not 2. While Griffin has a big contract, meaning you’d have to give up a player for salary purposes if you don’t have enough cap space.
If Tre Jones is ready for back-up duties behind Murray, you’d have to think the Spurs are passing the trade Aldridge, Mills ball around a little. They certainly aren’t forced to & those guys would be great for stability in a playoff series
They are down five or six guys right now. Any more and they’ll need to sign some guys from the local Y.
Is it time to rebuild and clean house for Rockets. Why miss out on a deep draft 2021. They are trending in wrong direction. 8 straight loses (11-18). Only Pistons n TWolves are worse.