The entire basketball world is still trying to wrap their minds around how the Golden State Warriors were able to sign DeMarcus Cousins.
All it took was the mid-level exception, and Cousins said that he had received no other offers before signing with the Warriors.
The New Orleans Pelicans signed Julius Randle earlier today, which seemingly made the team less inclined to do what it took to keep Cousins.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has a great story detailing the process that led to Cousins signing with the Warriors and sending shockwaves through the league.
The story includes quotes that Cousins gave to Marc Spears of the Undefeated. Cousins told him that he was hurt by the lack of offers from other teams, particularly the Pelicans.
Cousins then took matters into his own hands and called the Warriors himself, and he had a great conversation with the team.
Cousins played on Team USA with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green, so there was already that familiarity.
Cousins said that the conversations were so good that he called Bob Myers afterward to inform him that he’d sign with the team.
Cousins tore his Achilles back in late January, and Cousins said that his goal is to be ready for the start of training camp, although a more realistic expectation might be a return a couple months into the regular season.
It’s a really fascinating story about a guy who took it upon himself to see if he could join an already transcendent team.
There are really meaningful debates to be had now if the Warriors are going to feature the greatest starting lineup in the history of the NBA.
This Cousins situation is yet another example that it’s the cohesiveness and chemistry of this team that makes everything work.
Cousins was drawn to this opportunity because he connected with the superstars and the entire atmosphere surrounding this team is so infectious.
There’s really no pressure for Cousins to rush back from his Achilles injury either since the Warriors are a great team even without Cousins.
It’s a perfect situation for both sides. The Warriors get a dominant center, and Cousins gives himself a fantastic opportunity to get a ring and increase his market value for next offseason.