The Houston Rockets and DeMarcus Cousins are going their separate ways just two months into the season. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Rockets plan to release Cousins and will make the move official in the next several days.

Charania reported that the Rockets want to play a smaller lineup while also giving a chance to their younger players. This would limit the minutes for Cousins, something that both the team and the player didn’t want to see happening.

Cousins returned from an ACL tear this season, inking a one-year, $2.3 million deal with the Rockets in December. During his time in Houston, the 30-year-old former All-Star mostly played off the bench but managed to be fairly productive in that role.

In 25 games as a Rocket, Cousins averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while playing 20.2 minutes per game. His form was especially top-notch as of late, scoring in double digits in the last four games, including a 19-point effort against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite struggling to remain on the court in recent years, DeMarcus Cousins is expected to attract a significant interest among championship contenders. While he is long removed from his All-Star form, Cousins still can be a significant contributor in the right system and with the right workload that would minimize injury risk.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the main favorites to land Cousins at the moment, but they are expected to face competition from the Portland Trail Blazers and NY Knicks, among other teams.

The post DeMarcus Cousins and Rockets Expected to Part Ways appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins shocked the league when he decided to join the reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors on a mid-level exception. The move also caused a lot of criticism pointed towards Cousins for making a super team even more powerful. But it looks like the 27-year-old doesn’t lose sleep over this.

“I didn’t really care, honestly,” – said Cousins about the backlash during his interview with ESPN. “I don’t really care. … It trips me out to just see. It’s crazy like how angry people were.”

Just a year ago everyone, including DeMarcus Cousins himself, expected him to sign a max-contract this summer. But an ACL injury he suffered in January sidelined him for 10 to 12 months caused the majority of the teams to back out of offering him a deal. Seeing that there are no good offers coming his way, Cousins decided to enter the talks with the Warriors.

“But, it’s just kind of funny because before the whole thing started, I was just kind of wasted.” – Cousins explained. “I was damaged goods, not a winner, just everything negative. And soon as it happens, it’s like, ‘He’s too damn good to [be a Warrior].’ So, it’s just kind of funny how the narrative switches right away when things don’t go the way they expect it to.”

Cousins also discussed a variety of other topics in the interview, including his expectations from the upcoming season. According to him, he just wants to get back to playing basketball and have a winning season.

“I’m here to play basketball. I’m here to play at the highest level. I’m here to win games. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s not my concern.” – he added.

The post DeMarcus Cousins on Criticism for Signing with Warriors: “I Don’t Really Care” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the season-ending injury of DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans have started making some roster moves acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls. They sent center Omer Asik, guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson and protected first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.

The two teams were working on this deal for some time now, but could only conclude it after the Pelicans agreed to guarantee the $12.5 million team option on Mirotic’s contract next season. This way the Bulls could trade Mirotic without his approval.

“We would like to thank Niko for all of his contributions during his time with the Chicago Bulls organization. We wish him the best with this new opportunity in New Orleans. As I have previously stated, this move has our best interests at heart as we continue to remake our team and position the Bulls for a successful future,” – said John Paxson, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, in a statement.

This is one of those trades that work well for both sides. New Orleans Pelicans will keep their playoff hopes alive after losing Boogie, getting a player who averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the 25 games he played this season. It is worth noting that Mirotic shoots 42.9 percent from 3 on six attempts a game, better than any player Pelicans currently have on their roster. The team also got rid of Asik’s unfavorable contract which sees him getting $10.5 million this season, $11.2 million in 2018-19 and not giving anything in return.

For the Bulls, it was a no-brainer really. They continue to stockpile picks and can get back to their losing ways. The team was 3-20 without Mirotic and then won 15 out of 28 after he got back from injury. You can bet that Bull didn’t intend to become a playoff contender with Asik on the team.

The post New Orleans Pelicans Acquire Nikola Mirotic from Chicago Bulls appeared first on SportzBonanza.

DeMarcus Cousins will step once again on the court of Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thursday, but he won’t be wearing the Sacramento Kings jersey. This time, Cousins will be with the New Orleans Pelicans, and knowing him, he won’t back down for the old time’s sake. The game on Thursday will also be the first in Sacramento since the Kings traded him last season. Now, after the unexpected trade landed him in New Orleans, Cousins regrets he didn’t move on sooner.

“There were plenty of situations where I’m like, ‘Man, why didn’t you just do it this way?” – Cousins said. “And there was plenty of times where I was a victim. But at the end of the day, it’s still on me. My biggest regret is not leaving when I had the chance.“

Cousins further revealed that he had a chance to push for a trade in 2015 after he had a feud with the Kings’ coach George Karl. His representatives met with the GM Vlade Divac and asked for a trade to Los Angeles Lakers, but were open to other places. Ultimately, Cousins decided to stay.

“I wanted to give it a chance because my representatives told me I shouldn’t stay,” – Cousins said. “I guess you could say I was stubborn and loyal. I wanted to make things work.“

Unfortunately for Cousins, things didn’t work, and instead of getting a supermax contract extension from the Kings, he was sent to the Pelicans alongside Omri Casspi. The Kings got Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and 2017 first and second-round draft picks.
Despite the unhappy ending, DeMarcus Cousins left his mark in Sacramento. He is franchise’s second-leading scorer and the top rebounder since the Kings relocated to Sacramento. Cousins has a career average of 21.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

The post DeMarcus Cousins Regrets Not Leaving the Sacramento Kings Earlier appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Rockets and DeMarcus Cousins are going their separate ways just two months into the season. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Rockets plan to release Cousins and will make the move official in the next several days.

Charania reported that the Rockets want to play a smaller lineup while also giving a chance to their younger players. This would limit the minutes for Cousins, something that both the team and the player didn’t want to see happening.

Cousins returned from an ACL tear this season, inking a one-year, $2.3 million deal with the Rockets in December. During his time in Houston, the 30-year-old former All-Star mostly played off the bench but managed to be fairly productive in that role.

In 25 games as a Rocket, Cousins averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while playing 20.2 minutes per game. His form was especially top-notch as of late, scoring in double digits in the last four games, including a 19-point effort against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite struggling to remain on the court in recent years, DeMarcus Cousins is expected to attract a significant interest among championship contenders. While he is long removed from his All-Star form, Cousins still can be a significant contributor in the right system and with the right workload that would minimize injury risk.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the main favorites to land Cousins at the moment, but they are expected to face competition from the Portland Trail Blazers and NY Knicks, among other teams.

The post DeMarcus Cousins and Rockets Expected to Part Ways appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins shocked the league when he decided to join the reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors on a mid-level exception. The move also caused a lot of criticism pointed towards Cousins for making a super team even more powerful. But it looks like the 27-year-old doesn’t lose sleep over this.

“I didn’t really care, honestly,” – said Cousins about the backlash during his interview with ESPN. “I don’t really care. … It trips me out to just see. It’s crazy like how angry people were.”

Just a year ago everyone, including DeMarcus Cousins himself, expected him to sign a max-contract this summer. But an ACL injury he suffered in January sidelined him for 10 to 12 months caused the majority of the teams to back out of offering him a deal. Seeing that there are no good offers coming his way, Cousins decided to enter the talks with the Warriors.

“But, it’s just kind of funny because before the whole thing started, I was just kind of wasted.” – Cousins explained. “I was damaged goods, not a winner, just everything negative. And soon as it happens, it’s like, ‘He’s too damn good to [be a Warrior].’ So, it’s just kind of funny how the narrative switches right away when things don’t go the way they expect it to.”

Cousins also discussed a variety of other topics in the interview, including his expectations from the upcoming season. According to him, he just wants to get back to playing basketball and have a winning season.

“I’m here to play basketball. I’m here to play at the highest level. I’m here to win games. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s not my concern.” – he added.

The post DeMarcus Cousins on Criticism for Signing with Warriors: “I Don’t Really Care” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the season-ending injury of DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans have started making some roster moves acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls. They sent center Omer Asik, guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson and protected first-round draft pick in the opposite direction.

The two teams were working on this deal for some time now, but could only conclude it after the Pelicans agreed to guarantee the $12.5 million team option on Mirotic’s contract next season. This way the Bulls could trade Mirotic without his approval.

“We would like to thank Niko for all of his contributions during his time with the Chicago Bulls organization. We wish him the best with this new opportunity in New Orleans. As I have previously stated, this move has our best interests at heart as we continue to remake our team and position the Bulls for a successful future,” – said John Paxson, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations, in a statement.

This is one of those trades that work well for both sides. New Orleans Pelicans will keep their playoff hopes alive after losing Boogie, getting a player who averaged 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the 25 games he played this season. It is worth noting that Mirotic shoots 42.9 percent from 3 on six attempts a game, better than any player Pelicans currently have on their roster. The team also got rid of Asik’s unfavorable contract which sees him getting $10.5 million this season, $11.2 million in 2018-19 and not giving anything in return.

For the Bulls, it was a no-brainer really. They continue to stockpile picks and can get back to their losing ways. The team was 3-20 without Mirotic and then won 15 out of 28 after he got back from injury. You can bet that Bull didn’t intend to become a playoff contender with Asik on the team.

The post New Orleans Pelicans Acquire Nikola Mirotic from Chicago Bulls appeared first on SportzBonanza.

DeMarcus Cousins will step once again on the court of Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thursday, but he won’t be wearing the Sacramento Kings jersey. This time, Cousins will be with the New Orleans Pelicans, and knowing him, he won’t back down for the old time’s sake. The game on Thursday will also be the first in Sacramento since the Kings traded him last season. Now, after the unexpected trade landed him in New Orleans, Cousins regrets he didn’t move on sooner.

“There were plenty of situations where I’m like, ‘Man, why didn’t you just do it this way?” – Cousins said. “And there was plenty of times where I was a victim. But at the end of the day, it’s still on me. My biggest regret is not leaving when I had the chance.“

Cousins further revealed that he had a chance to push for a trade in 2015 after he had a feud with the Kings’ coach George Karl. His representatives met with the GM Vlade Divac and asked for a trade to Los Angeles Lakers, but were open to other places. Ultimately, Cousins decided to stay.

“I wanted to give it a chance because my representatives told me I shouldn’t stay,” – Cousins said. “I guess you could say I was stubborn and loyal. I wanted to make things work.“

Unfortunately for Cousins, things didn’t work, and instead of getting a supermax contract extension from the Kings, he was sent to the Pelicans alongside Omri Casspi. The Kings got Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and 2017 first and second-round draft picks.
Despite the unhappy ending, DeMarcus Cousins left his mark in Sacramento. He is franchise’s second-leading scorer and the top rebounder since the Kings relocated to Sacramento. Cousins has a career average of 21.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

The post DeMarcus Cousins Regrets Not Leaving the Sacramento Kings Earlier appeared first on SportzBonanza.