DeMarcus Cousins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Hope To Get Durant, Cousins Back During Finals

May 23rd, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors issued health updates on injured stars Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins today, offering no assurances that either player will be ready to go when the NBA Finals get underway a week from tonight.

According to the team, Durant (strained right calf) still hasn’t been cleared to begin on-court activities, though he continues to make “good progress” in his rehab. The Warriors say it’s unlikely he’ll be available at the start of the NBA Finals, but the club is hopeful he’ll return at some point during the series.

As for Cousins, he practiced with the Warriors today for the first time since suffering his torn left quad on April 16. The team anticipates him playing at some point during the Finals, but has yet to zero in on a specific date — it will depend on his progress.

The fact that Durant, who has already missed the Warriors’ clinching game vs. Houston and the team’s entire series vs. Portland, still isn’t ready to return is the latest signal that his calf injury was more serious than we were originally led to believe. While Golden State is still aiming to get him back at some point against either Milwaukee or Toronto, there’s a non-zero chance that KD has played his last game for the Dubs.

According to the Warriors, updates on both players will be issued next Wednesday, a day before the Finals begin.

Warriors Notes: Durant, Thompson, Cousins, Ponds

May 22nd, 2019 at 5:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant‘s agent insists that the Warriors‘ star remains undecided about what he’s going to do in free agency, relays Chris Iseman of USA Today. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s The Future of Everything Festival, Rich Kleiman said Durant won’t begin thinking about his decision until after the NBA Finals.

“That is 100 percent undecided,” he said. “I’m waiting on Kevin. That’s the truth. I think there’s a feeling that this thing is like war games and everybody is playing chess years out. But when somebody gets to the level of basketball that he’s at, you can’t juggle focus like that. There’s so many things he’s juggling too. He’s not scripting his future while he’s playing the way he plays and practicing the way he’s practicing.”

There’s still no timetable for when Durant might return after suffering a strained right calf in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals. He has eight days until the championship series begins.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Owner Joe Lacob is prepared to spend big this summer to keep the team together, but DeMarcus Cousins may not be part of that equation, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Lacob indicated he will make max offers to Durant and fellow free agent Klay Thompson, even though those would push the Warriors to record luxury tax levels. However, Kawakami doesn’t believe the team can compete financially for Cousins, who will only be eligible for a 20% raise on this year’s $5.337MM contract if he stays in Golden State. He notes that management seems likely to keep unrestricted free agent Kevon Looney and restricted free agent Jordan Bell and is confident they can be an effective center tandem along with Damian Jones. The Warriors will probably have the option of adding Andrew Bogut to the roster again next March when his Australian season ends.
Health updates on Durant and Cousins are expected Thursday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Warriors will resume practicing tomorrow after taking two days off following the Game 4 win over Portland. Thursday will mark one week since Durant and Cousins were last evaluated.
St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds had a workout scheduled with Golden State today, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. Ponds, who also had a session with the Bulls this week, is projected as a late second-rounder, but believes he can move up. “I think I’m late-first round,” he said. “And that’s my goal, what I’m aiming for.”

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Conference Finals

May 17th, 2019 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at some of the players currently in the conference finals:

DeMarcus Cousins, Warriors, 28, C (Down) — Signed to a one-year, $5.3MM deal in 2018
Cousins made a snap decision on the second day of free agency last July to bet on himself and chase a ring. There’s a very good chance he’ll get the latter; as for landing a big multi-year contract this summer, that’s a major question mark. He’s unlikely to play against Portland due to the quad injury he suffered in the opening round. There’s no guarantee he’d be back for the Finals. Cousins played well after returning from his one-year rehab for an Achilles tear but it’s fair to question whether the injuries will continue to pile up for the big man.

Seth Curry, Trail Blazers, 28, SG (Up) — Signed to a one-year, $2.8MM deal in 2018
Seeing the Curry brothers go at each other has added to the entertainment value of the conference finals. Seth didn’t fare so well in Game 1 (three points on 1-for-7 shooting) but he was a major factor in Game 2 with 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and four steals. After missing all of last season with a left leg injury, the less-heralded Curry has proven to be a valuable rotation player. The Pistons reportedly have him high on their list of free agent targets. They certainly won’t be alone — career 43.9% 3-point shooters tend to attract a crowd.

Marc Gasol, Raptors, 34, C (Down) – Signed to a five-year, $113.2MM deal in 2015
Gasol said earlier this month he’s undecided whether to exercise his $25.6MM player option. At this stage of his career, Gasol is probably more focused on being a good fit and feeling comfortable than his bank account. But he’d be losing many millions if he doesn’t opt in. Quite frankly, he’s no longer a $25MM player. More than half of his field-goal attempts in the playoffs have come from beyond the arc and he’s not making them. He shot 26.9% from deep against the Sixers in the conference semis and went 2-for-7 in Game 1 against the Bucks. He’s scored in single digits in 10 of 13 games this postseason.

Brook Lopez, Bucks, 31, C (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $3.4MM deal in 2018
Following a series of forgettable conference semifinal outings, Lopez blew up in Game 1 against Toronto. He piled up 29 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks to carry the Bucks to an early lead in the series. Lopez was arguably the biggest bargain in free agency last summer. He was an ideal fit for the Bucks’ high-powered attack as a ‘stretch five.’ His advanced defensive numbers this season were the best of his career. Milwaukee has other free agency concerns, most notably Khris Middleton, but re-signing Lopez should be a high priority as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kevin Durant Expected To Miss Entire Western Conference Finals

May 16th, 2019 at 9:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant is unlikely to play until the NBA Finals should the Warriors make it that far, a source tells Monte Poole of NBC Sports. Durant returning at any point during the postseason remains in question.

Durant won’t make the trip to Portland for Game 3 and 4. Instead, he will stay behind to work with the team’s medical staff. Golden State announced today that Durant has shown progress as he recovers from a strained calf, but he is not ready to participate in on-court activity.

The Warriors were hoping Durant would be able to return during the Western Conference Finals so that he could get re-acclimated with the team before a possible NBA Finals appearance.

DeMarcus Cousins has progressed to on-court activity, per the team. He’s not quite ready for live action, but his status appears more favorable than Durant’s at this time.

Both players are expected to be re-evaluated in a week, according to the Warriors.

Durant, Cousins Could Miss Conference Finals

May 13th, 2019 at 9:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins are not close to returning to action, Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the media, including the Associated Press’ Janie McCauley, on Monday.

A report earlier in the day indicated Durant would miss at least Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday with his calf strain. Durant was injured during Game 5 of the conference semifinals against Houston.

Kerr said Durant hadn’t “even stepped on the floor” yet, so any speculation about when he’ll return is pointless.

“We’ve tried to remain somewhat vague because the injury is really sort of open-ended in terms of how long he’s going to need to recover. But I think in doing so people have gotten the idea that he’s going to come back and be Willis Reed or something,” Kerr said. “He hasn’t even stepped on the floor yet, he still has pain. There’s time ahead of him on the rehab process.”

Golden State defeated Houston on the road Saturday without Durant to wrap up that series. Now, the Warriors are faced with the possibility of playing without Durant for much, if not all, of the conference finals against Portland. The Trail Blazers are banged up as well, as they’ve advanced through the playoffs without starting center Jusuf Nurkic. Key reserve Rodney Hood suffered a bone bruise on his knee Sunday in Game 7 against Denver.

Cousins partially tore his left quadriceps muscle in Game 2 of the first round against the Clippers. There has been growing optimism that he’d back at some point during the conference finals but Kerr downplayed that possibility.

“He hasn’t had any live stuff on the court yet, so he’s not that close either,” Kerr said. “Hopefully another week goes by and things start to get better and now we have a better prognosis. At this point we’re getting ready for this series without both of them.”

Cousins Could Be Back During Conference Finals

May 11th, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins could return to action during the Western Conference finals, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.

Cousins suffered a partially torn quad muscle in the Warriors’ opening-round series against the Clippers on April 15th.

Initially, Cousins was ruled out indefinitely and many people anticipated he would have to sit out the remainder of the postseason. But he said earlier this week he’s hopeful of playing again during Golden State’s drive for a third consecutive championship.

“For me, my goal is I ain’t planning on sitting,” Cousins said. “I don’t know the reality of it. But for me, that is not what I’m planning on doing. … It’s definitely some type of bad movie. But I think it will have a very nice ending. Just wait for it.”

Cousins’ injury occurred in a non-contact situation after he made a steal. The injury did not require surgery and he’s made steady progress during his rehab. If he doesn’t have any setbacks, he could give the club a major boost inside with his scoring and rebounding. It’s still unknown how much time Kevin Durant will miss due to a calf strain suffered in Game 5 against Houston.

Cousins spent a year rehabbing from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered while playing for the Pelicans. He made his Warriors debut on January 18th.

He could also give his free agent stock a boost if he returns and plays well. He’ll be on the open market once again this offseason.

Warriors Notes: Thompson, Durant, Iguodala, Cousins

May 8th, 2019 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Speculation over Kevin Durant‘s future has been hounding the Warriors for months, but Klay Thompson‘s upcoming free agency is being almost overlooked, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Thompson will also be unrestricted this summer, but he is expected to re-sign with the organization. He has said publicly that he expects a max contract, which would pay him $188MM over five years or $221MM in a super-max deal if he makes an all-NBA team.

“The media, I think, give him a little bit of a break as far as over-speculating and throwing him into the fire because he hasn’t really fueled it — at all,” teammate Andrew Bogut said. “You’ve never heard him say anything bad about wanting to leave here or going to another team or being the No. 1 option. You’ve never even heard that off the record. Some players say the right thing publicly but have different feelings [in private]. He completely wants to be here and he gets it that this is a very rare situation.”

Re-signing Thompson would give the Warriors a measure of stability heading forward, regardless of what happens with Durant. He has been part of the Warriors’ core over the five years that they have been elite and ranks second only to LeBron James in the number of playoff games in that span.

“I think Klay sort of ties it all together in a lot of ways,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “There’s not one person in this organization who would ever question Klay’s agenda or motives.”

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

Knicks fans shouldn’t start the Durant celebration just yet, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who talked to Marcus Thompson II, author of a new book titled, “KD: Kevin Durant’s Relentless Pursuit to Be The Greatest.” Thompson acknowledges that the Knicks will be strong contenders, but he believes Golden State’s chances of keeping Durant have improved.
Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston have both been cleared to play in tonight’s Game 5, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Warriors were upset about how Iguodala got hurt at the end of Monday’s game, accusing Chris Paul of intentionally clipping his knee from behind on a rebound, according to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News. Livingston has been dealing with a sore left hip.
DeMarcus Cousins was jogging and putting up 3-point shots in a workout this afternoon, relays Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cousins is determined to overcome a quad injury and return to action before the postseason is over.

Cousins Remains Hopeful Of Returning This Season

May 6th, 2019 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeMarcus Cousins‘ season may not be over after all. It was generally assumed that Cousins was done for the season after he suffered a partially torn quad muscle in the Warriors’ opening-round series against the Clippers on April 15th.

Cousins told ESPN’s Marc Spears on Monday that he’s hopeful of playing again during Golden State’s drive for a third consecutive championship.

“For me, my goal is I ain’t planning on sitting,” Cousins said. “I don’t know the reality of it. But for me, that is not what I’m planning on doing. … It’s definitely some type of bad movie. But I think it will have a very nice ending. Just wait for it.”

Cousins’ injury occurred in a non-contact situation after he made a steal. He was ruled out indefinitely after the injury was diagnosed, though the team left the door open that he might play again during the playoffs if he responded well to treatment. An NBC Sports Bay Area report on Sunday indicated that Cousins and another injured Golden State big man, Damian Jones, could return at some point this postseason.

Cousins’ comment to Spears gives further credence to that possibility.

Cousins spent a year rehabbing from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered while playing for the Pelicans. He made his Warriors debut on January 18th.

Cousins was thrilled that his latest injury didn’t require surgery.

“Obviously, I was little more relieved that it wasn’t anything catastrophic like I’ve dealt with before,” he told Spears. “It (stinks) to be injured anyway on top of that. The timing of it really (screwed) me up the most. It’s a part of this game, man. I’m not the first. I won’t be the last.”

Along with boosting his team, Cousins could help himself financially with an effective return this postseason. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent once again in July.

Cousins, Jones Could Return For Warriors

May 5th, 2019 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Centers DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones may be available later in the playoffs if the Warriors keep winning, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Coach Steve Kerr offered health updates on both players today, saying they are making progress and Jones could be cleared for contact next week.

Cousins was feared to be lost for the season after suffering a torn left quad in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Clippers. He was ruled out indefinitely, although there was some hope that he could return if he responded well to treatment.

Jones, who is already able to participate in three-on-three drills, hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn left pectoral muscle in December. He began the season as the Warriors’ starting center, but appeared in just 24 games before the injury.

Golden State would welcome some help at center after being decisively out-rebounded in Game 3 against the Rockets. The Warriors have been getting by with Kevon Looney and Andrew Bogut in the middle, but have mainly been using a small lineup with no true center on the court.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Jones, Cousins, Clippers

April 24th, 2019 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, new permanent Suns general manager James Jones took responsibility for the dismissal of head coach Igor Kokoskov, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. Owner Robert Sarver has taken the brunt of the criticism – perhaps deservedly so – for the revolving door of coaches in Phoenix, but Jones said that firing Kokoskov was “my decision alone,” per Rankin.

“The decision I had to make Monday was a tough one,” the Suns GM told the media. “Not one I take lightly.”

As for who might replace Kokoskov on the Suns’ bench, Jones said today that the club is seeking a “leader” who can relate to and challenge its players (Twitter link). While that description might sound generic, the mention of leadership is worth noting — after all, one report this week suggested that Suns players felt assistant coach Joe Prunty was more in charge of the bench than Kokoskov was.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Later in today’s press conference, Jones said that the Suns want to focus on adding players “in their prime” this summer, and will explore all possible avenues to do so (Twitter link). Phoenix doesn’t project to have much – if any – cap room, so it will be interesting to see how aggressive the club is on the trade market.
In an in-depth look at Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report cites one Western Conference executive who believes that Cousins’ Achilles and quad injuries over the last two years may ultimately cost him upwards of $150MM. Berger also explores whether it’s realistic to believe that Golden State could re-sign Cousins, even after his latest health issue.
While the Clippers have tried to hold their own against the Warriors and have one impressive comeback win under their belts, the series has reaffirmed why L.A. ultimately needs a superstar on its roster, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Despite their depth, the Clips don’t have the sort of No. 1 option who can go head to head with Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant, so their foray into free agency this summer will be worth watching closely.