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No, the Wizards should not target DeMarcus Cousins

The free agent center was recently waived by the Los Angeles Lakers and there is chatter that he should come to Washington. That said, his injury history alone is cause for concern

By Albert Lee
Los Angeles Lakers v Brooklyn Nets
DeMarcus Cousins, like John Wall, has had a long road to recovery. But no, he should not be an addition to the Wizards.
Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers waived DeMarcus Cousins on Sunday, primarily so they could make room for Markieff Morris, who coincidentally played for the Wizards from 2016-19.

For Cousins, the last couple seasons have been rough due to injuries. Last season, he missed the first half due to an Achilles tendon rupture, not unlike what John Wall is going through at the moment. He played for the Warriors, who lost in the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors but tore his ACL in the middle of summer training. Even though Cousins signed with the Lakers last summer, he is not expected to play this season for them.

Now that Cousins and his $3.5 million salary are on waivers, perhaps a team may add him to their roster in the hopes of re-signing him next season. Since Cousins is one of Wall’s long-time best friends, there should be no surprise that some will mention the Wizards as a possible destination.

I don’t see it happening though. Though Cousins and Wall have wanted to play together if they could, the Wizards are still trying to build up their depth and youth at multiple positions. Cousins doesn’t fit that.

Also, like Wall, Cousins would want to play for an immediate championship contender, even if he doesn’t return to the Lakers this summer. The Wizards aren’t there yet. That said, if the team makes a significant improvement in the future, perhaps a Wall and Cousins reunion could be more plausible.

Do you think the Wizards should target Cousins, whether now or next season? Let us know in the comments below.