NBA Rumors: Quad Injury Puts DeMarcus Cousins Free Agency Plans In Jeopardy

The Golden State Warriors suffered a big blow with DeMarcus Cousins acquiring a quad injury during their first-round NBA playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. And while most see this setback as minor with the firepower the Dubs have on their end, it does place the future of Boogie in a predicament.

For one, Cousins is set to become a free agent in the summer. Had he finished the season, it seemed like he would be a cinch to re-sign in the Bay Area. But the torn left quad injury may have very well ended Boogie’s season, meaning head coach Steve Kerr will have to find a way to fill up that middle with someone else, NBC reported.

With Cousins likely to be out for the rest of the NBA season, the task of filling up that void lies on Kevin Looney, Andrew Bogut, and Jordan Bell. Except for Bogut, both Looney and Bell have been used to filling up the center position by now. The Aussie, on the other hand, has not played more than 24 minutes per game, and this hints that he will more likely come off the bench unless injuries hit other big men.

There are pundits who remain optimistic that Cousins can still return at some point. Assuming the Dubs make it all the way to the NBA Finals, that would be a big boost. However, and at the rate, things are going, it may be best for the Warriors to move on and do with the manpower that they have.

As for his future, Cousins may find himself settling for a minimum deal during NBA free agency. It is almost the same story he had last year when he went down with an ACL injury. And while Cousins will b re-evaluated over the next week, it is more of what his future holds in the monetary aspect that comes into play, Forbes reported.

The Warriors and other teams who are targeting Cousins may as well look at other healthy players first before taking a chance on the temperamental big man. Having suffered two major injuries in successive years offers a big question mark on whether he is someone worth investing in.

Boogie did successfully recover from an Achilles injury, perhaps a bright spot and hopefully something that can be said for his quad injury. If his recent injury is serious, the best he can do is join a team that would gamble on his expected time off the court and offers him an acceptable deal.

The Warriors did that last season so it remains to be seen if they (or some other team) will do the same this coming NBA offseason.