Another big man is rumored to be available as the NBA negotiation deadline approaches.
First, it was reported that the Cavaliers were assessing commercial interest in Andre Drummond. The main center of the team is left out until the team finds out what to do with it. The Pistons are doing the same to their veteran striker Blake Griffin.
And now, another big one is supposedly available. According to Shams Charania’s The Athletic, the Houston Rockets and DeMarcus Cousins are “planning to split up in the next few days”.
Cousins, 30, has averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season, but Christian Wood’s return to the roster would have pushed him into a reserve role. And with the Rockets looking to get smaller, as Charania is reporting, a split makes sense.
Celtics Talk Podcast: Checking Danny Ainge’s To-Do List and a Chat with Red Claws President Dajuan Eubanks | Listen and subscribe | Watch on youtube
So, should the Celtics be interested in acquiring Cousins? On the surface, he could be a sensible target. Danny Ainge spoke of his desire to acquire size and shot in any potential acquisition of the Celtics. Cousins would provide that. He is six feet tall and has hit 33.6% of his 3-point shots this season, a solid percentage for a pivot.
Cousins also have the advantage of being cheap from a contractual point of view. The Rockets have just secured the $ 2.65 million minimum contract for Cousins veterans for the rest of the season. Comparatively, Griffin is earning $ 36.6 million and Drummond is earning $ 28.8 million this season. And none of them shoot as well as their cousins.
The Celtics wouldn’t even have to plunge into its $ 28.5 (TPE) traded player exception to acquire Cousins for that money. They could use the Enes Kanter trade exception or send one of their many deep players to open a roster slot and make the money work easily.
However, Cousins would not come without some concerns. While Cousins is shooting slightly above the average of his career behind the arc this season, his overall percentage of shots reaches 37.6%, the lowest in his career.
This explains why its production dropped even more than expected. Some regression was anticipated, as he recorded casualties in minutes played (20.2) and usage rate (23.1) behind Wood, but his shot could improve.
The other part of the C’s is that they already have a relatively crowded central room. The team has been starting two big ones in Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis, while Robert Williams has also managed many minutes in the center. The trio recently came to life against the Atlanta Hawks and played their best team game of the season.
Cousins would certainly fit into this rotation and qualify as the best offensive player in that group. But how many minutes would he realistically have? If he doesn’t have enough guaranteed minutes, he may prefer to go elsewhere – assuming he has something to say about it. And acquiring Cousins still wouldn’t solve the problems that the Celtics have in terms of wing depth.
Still, Cousins would give the team veteran depth and some extra off-the-bench attack. Considering how cheap it can be, Cs can consider it, as adding Cousins would not prevent them from adding names like Harrison Barnes, JJ Redick, Jerami Grant or PJ Tucker, among others, somewhere below the line.
Forsberg’s most recent TPE wish list for C’s
That would have to be the Celtics’ plan. Even if they acquire Cousins, they will have to continue looking for other options in the trading and buying markets.
Adding it alone would probably not be enough to make this team overcome the obstacle.