John Wall: DeMarcus Cousins Considered Signing with Wizards over Warriors

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were once teammates at the University of Kentucky, and apparently, the two have explored the possibility of teaming up together in the pros.

As the Golden State Warriors visited the nation's capital for a game against the Washington Wizards on Thursday, Cousins revealed that he had discussions with Wall.

"We talked. Me and John talked," Boogie said, per the Washington Post's Candace Buckner. "We talked. That's it."

Wall, meanwhile, was a little more open about the potential partnership.

"He did consider here," Wall said, per Buckner. "Oh yeah, we talked about it. He definitely wanted to be here. He definitely wanted to come play, but after that injury, it's kind of tough, like how much can you put into that?"

At the time Cousins was a free agent, he was in the process of working back his way from a torn Achilles suffered in January 2018. He did not, however, attract the type of interest a four-time All-Star might expect.    

Boogie recently opened up to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium about his unpleasant experience on the open market:

"The people I reached out to...man, the teams I was talking to, and how they slammed the phone in my face. They all slammed the door shut on me. I wish I could share those conversations. But it's done with. I reached out to teams with the same offer as Golden State, just to see.

"The Warriors are the most hated team in basketball, period. You see that, and then you add another All-Star guy? They’re reading on the surface and they’re pissed. They're mad, they're angry. I understand it. I really do. Like, 'Damn, they got KD, Steph, Klay, Dray already.' But they don't know the circumstances. I have thick skin."

Ultimately, he settled for a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Warriors. The Wizards wound up signing eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard to add frontcourt depth.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr is on the record saying Boogie is likely one-and-done in the Bay Area, but the opportunity does provide the big man with a chance to play in the postseason for the first time in his nine-year career after he had to sit out the New Orleans Pelicans' playoff run last season. Not only that, but he also has a real chance at winning a title with the two-time defending champs.

"I'm unbothered," Cousins said, per Charania. "I'm worried about my health. I'm worried about my long-term career. I'm worried about happiness."

Now that Cousins is healthy and back on the court, there may be no better situation for him. Golden State (34-14) sits atop the Western Conference. On the other hand, Washington (21-27) is on the outside of the playoff picture at 10th place in the East in what has been a drama-filled season.