Clippers Rumors: DeMarcus Cousins to Sign LAC Contract for Remainder of Season

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTFeatured ColumnistApril 26, 2021

Los Angeles Clippers' DeMarcus Cousins, right, works against Houston Rockets' DaQuan Jeffries during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 23, 2021, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo via AP)

Carmen Mandato/Associated Press

DeMarcus Cousins reportedly is sticking with the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the veteran center will sign with the team for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Cousins, 30, opened the year with the Houston Rockets, averaging 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game.

He made 25 total appearances for the team (11 starts), but with the Rockets building around young center Christian Wood—ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported in February that Cousins "was not happy with his role as a backup center" and wanted more playing time—the two sides mutually agreed to his release.

Cousins then signed two 10-day contracts with the Clippers. In eight games in Los Angeles, he's averaged 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds across 11.5 minutes per contest, serving as Ivica Zubac's backup while Serge Ibaka is out with a back injury.

Once Ibaka returns from injury, Cousins' role will be even further diminished, meaning he will go from around 20 minutes a game in Houston to spotty minutes at best with the Clippers. The other side of the coin, however, is that he'll have a chance to compete for a title, whereas the 15-46 Rockets are the worst team in the NBA.

Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHM
Clippers are keeping DeMarcus Cousins for remainder of the season. Ty Lue said yesterday that Cousins will help the Clippers moving forward. https://t.co/QT4pXbLvLd

Andrew Greif @AndrewGreif
Ty Lue said because the injured Clippers this season have been veteran guys, there's a hope that Beverley, Ibaka, etc., can get back in the flow quickly because of their experience. But, coaches still don't have a big sample size of which guys fit with each other still.

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Rotations may shrink in the postseason but the risk of injuries means title-contending teams can never have too much depth, and Ibaka's questionable back situation made keeping a veteran like Cousins around all the more logical.

Injuries have played a particularly large role in the condensed 2020-21 schedule, making veteran depth all the more valuable.