DeMarcus Cousins Says Rumor He Was Unhappy About Christian Wood a 'Damn Lie'
DeMarcus Cousins referred to rumors his departure from the Houston Rockets was related to his unhappiness with his spot on the depth chart as a "got damn lie."
ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Cousins was "not happy with his role as a backup center" behind Christian Wood and sought to leave Houston to find more playing time elsewhere.
The Rockets waived the four-time All-Star on Tuesday.
Cousins signed a one-year contract with Houston in late November. The front office also completed a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons to acquire Wood around the same time, and veteran power forward P.J. Tucker remained on the roster heading into the 2020-21 season.
So the former Sacramento Kings' standout shouldn't have been too surprised to open the campaign in a reserve role.
The 30-year-old Alabama native averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 25 appearances for the Rockets. He made 11 starts with Wood dealing with an ankle injury on two separate occasions.
Regardless of the reason for Cousins' release, he's now heading toward free agency with a chance to pick a contender to join for the season's second half.
Sean Deveney of Heavy reported the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers are among the teams expected to show interest.
It's unclear whether Cousins can rediscover anything near his All-Star form—he's just three years removed from averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds with the New Orleans Pelicans—after two major injuries, a torn Achilles and a torn ACL, in recent years.
However, the two-time All-NBA second-team selection showed enough during his short stint with the Rockets to prove he can be a useful role player, and potential insurance against a key frontcourt injury, during the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, his exit from Houston should create some additional playing time for Justin Patton, a 2017 first-round pick looking to establish himself in the NBA for the first time.
