KEY POINTS

  • Mavs not planning to make roster moves for now
  • Mavs could court Cousins in the summer
  • Cousins is still technically with the Lakers

DeMarcus Cousins has yet to play a single minute this NBA season and may never will. The 6-foot-10 big man continues to recuperate from an ACL injury, meaning his best chances of playing again is by the 2020-21 NBA season.

As mentioned in a previous post, Cousins has not entirely been scorned by the Lakers. He was waived but is still technically with Los Angeles. Though head coach Frank Vogel first mentioned that Cousins could still suit up by the NBA playoffs, all that was overturned quickly. The Lakers needed a healthy and reliable body on the floor and that guy turned out to be Markieff Morris.

Morris is set to sign with the Lakers after agreeing to a buyout with the Detroit Pistons. Though the Lakers were really after a playmaker, it appears they went with the best player immediately available. With regards to Cousins, the chances are low that any team would take a risk and invest in him as early as now.

One team that most speculated was the Dallas Mavericks. Most know how the Mavs pursued Cousins back in 2018. Unfortunately, the all-star center opted to join the Golden State Warriors instead. It should be noted that at the time, no team was willing to gamble on the 5th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft since he was recovering from an ACL injury.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was asked on the possibility of taking in someone like Cousins. He responded by telling the Dallas Morning News that they do not have a roster spot open and seemed pretty content with the cast he has right now. He did mention that there was a possibility if there was a spot open on the roster.

The Mavericks have little reason to make roster tweaks at this point in the 2019-20 NBA season. They are currently at the 7th spot of the NBA Western Conference with a 34-23 mark. Dallas is just one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, meaning they could still improve for NBA playoff positioning.

Looking ahead, there is a chance that the Mavericks could revisit a Cousins acquisition. That would all depend on Boogie's medical status although he is likely to be offered a short-term deal. The numbers may not be that eye-popping, understandably since the Mavs or any other team would still prefer to see how durable Cousins is moving forward.

DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins will make his debut for the Warriors against the Clippers on Jan. 18. In this picture, Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors poses for a picture during the Golden State Warriors media day in Oakland, California, Sept. 24, 2018. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images