DeMarcus Cousins Rumors: Rockets Had 'Zero Interest' Before Warriors' Deal
The Houston Rockets had "zero interest" in signing four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, USA Today's Sam Amick reported Wednesday.
Amick added Houston is looking to re-sign restricted free agent Clint Capela, so Cousins didn't make sense on the Rockets roster:
Cousins agreed to a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.
The Rockets were far from the only team to balk at the prospect of adding Cousins. He told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears he had "no significant contract offers," though Turner Sports analyst David Aldridge explained the situation was likely more nuanced than that.
Still, the immediate reaction to the Warriors signing another marquee star somewhat overshadowed the fact Cousins is a major wild card.
He's coming off a torn Achilles, an injury from which few players have made a full recovery. There's no telling how Cousins will look on the court post-Achilles injury.
Cousins' recovery also will likely rule him out for the start of the 2018-19 season. The Warriors are one of the few teams that can afford to have him sit back until December or January when he's ready to play again.
If Houston had any chance of losing Capela, then signing Cousins might be a worthwhile gamble. But the Rockets can match any contract offer for Capela, so his return is largely a formality.
As Amick argued, Cousins simply wasn't a good fit in Houston.
