The pairing of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins - two of the most talented big men to grace the league in a long time - didn’t last incredibly long. And, unfortunately for the league, it ended in a less-than-ideal manner.
In January, less than a year after joining the New Orleans Pelicans, Cousins tore his Achilles and was out for the season. When his free agency rolled around this summer, there were conflicting reports about his contact with New Orleans general manager Dell Demps. After signing a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, Cousins was open in his disappointment with Demps and the process.
But while Cousins and Demps may not be on good terms, the team’s former All-Star tandem still is. And according to a report by Marc Spears of ESPN, Davis is still holding out for a potential reunion.
“He will be a free agent next year,” Davis told ESPN. “Hopefully, down the line we can reconnect. ... I felt like we had something going. I think if he would have played in the playoff series against the Warriors it would be different.”
While Cousins, focused on his rehab, didn’t comment on playing again with Davis, he did stress the adoration he has for his fellow All-Star, saying, “That is my bro for life, no matter what circumstance. I got love for him and his family.”
Assuming Davis stays in New Orleans - which may not be a fair assumption - the relationship with Cousins and Demps may need to be patched in order for a reunion to take place. Then again, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite his beef with Dan Gilbert, so who knows.
It would be fun to see Davis and Cousins link up again, and, in all likelihood, Boogie will be looking for a new home next year. The CBA prohibits the Warriors from paying Cousins much next year, so unless he has another injury, or a slow recovery that keeps teams from being willing to pay him, he can get a lot more money elsewhere, something the Warriors are very aware of.
Steve Kerr on DeMarcus' 1-year deal with the W's:“We made no bones about it when we signed him. This is a 1-year deal and we're not going to have money to sign him next year so we'd like to help him win a championship and sign a great contract somewhere else. That's the reality."
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) November 1, 2018
That said, any reunion is likely far from Cousins’ mind. For now, he’s focused on getting back on the court, fitting in with the Warriors, and winning a title.