DeMarcus Cousins reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams in China

Unrestricted free agent DeMarcus Cousins is arguably the biggest name still remaining on the open market.

Last year he played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers on a one-year contract in hopes of reviving his career. Although he doesn’t appear to have done that, he did create at least one memorable memory.

Over the course of the 2020-21 NBA season, Cousins averaged 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game. He also stepped up admirably for Houston while Christian Wood was out, showing he at the very least possesses the skills necessary to be a passable reserve in the NBA.

That makes a recent report all the more interesting. Reportedly there are five teams currently interested in Cousins’ services. But there’s a catch.

“According to a media report, a source revealed that five CBA teams have asked for DeMarcus Cousins’ resume, and three of them are very interested in Cousins. One is a CBA team with strong financial resources. But whether the contract can be reached in the end is not yet known,” reported Chinese news media company sohu.com, as translated by HoopsHype.

A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that three NBA teams were inquiring about possibly signing Cousins. Thus far, however, there has been very little movement on that front.

Obviously Cousins is no longer the same player who looked like the league’s best big man in 2016. That year, he put up 28 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Sacramento Kings, displaying the sort of talent that his many, many physical ailments have robbed him of in recent seasons. And yes his beefs with teammates and occasional off-court drama leave something to be desired.

That said, as he proved when Wood was out, Cousins still has what it takes to help NBA teams. Maybe not in the same way as in his prime, but still in a manner that can be beneficial.

Will Cousins ultimately get another shot in the NBA or be relegated to China? An answer should emerge in the coming weeks.