Could DeMarcus Cousins find himself back in Sacramento at some point during the 2022-23 NBA season?
It looks like the former Kings star isn't ruling anything out.
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Cousins, currently a free agent, last played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets last season, primarily coming off the bench. In 48 games, Cousins started only seven of them and averaged 9.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15 minutes per game.
Before his stints with the Bucks and Nuggets, the 6-foot-10 center spent time with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020-21 season.
He posted similar numbers -- 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 17.4 minutes in 41 total games (11 starts) -- a far cry from the numbers he put up nightly earlier in his career.
With the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, Cousins was a force, averaging 21.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 32.3 minutes a game.
NBA
However, an Achilles injury and a torn ACL have considerably slowed down the four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.
While it's clear that Cousins no longer is the dominant force he once was earlier in his career, the 32-year-old still could be a productive rotational piece in the right system.
As it stands, the Kings could use an effective backup center, especially when Domantas Sabonis heads to the bench either for a breather or because of foul trouble. Cousins has shown a propensity to hit an occasional 3-pointer and always has been a willing passer when needed.
What's more, Cousins has valuable playoff experience to share with a Kings team hoping to end their historic playoff drought, as the veteran center once reached the NBA Finals with the Warriors in 2019, and has 20 total playoff games under his belt.
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Despite Cousins' harsh comments about the Kings and how he thought the league's perception of him was altered because of his time in Sacramento, it appears that the former Kings star is willing to let bygones be bygones.
Should all the proper pieces fall into place, Kings fans might be hoping Cousins will suit up in purple once again.