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DeMarcus Cousins has been an active part of NBA rumors after being waived by the Houston Rockets. The former All-Star is a free agent and is looking to land on a contending franchise. NBA rumors suggest several teams have expressed interest in acquiring his services, although there is no concrete news regarding a move just yet. We take a look at 3 NBA teams that should target DeMarcus Cousins.
NBA Rumors: 3 teams that could benefit from adding DeMarcus Cousins
Despite having an underwhelming year (9 points and 7 rebounds per game), DeMarcus Cousins is a solid rotation center who can improve multiple championship-seeking teams. These three sides could potentially be a good fit for the former Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers big.
#3 Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are extremely thin at center. The team has a plethora of power forwards, but has only two natural centers - Willie Cauley-Stein and Boban Marjanovic. The latter is a role player who can't be played for more than a few minutes, while Cauley-Stein hasn't looked impressive playing the 5.
Enter DeMarcus Cousins - a solid rebounder and scorer at the center position, who can take up back-up minutes and lead the bench unit. He is a serviceable 3-point shooter as well, which means Rick Carlisle will be able to maintain the team's spacing. The Mavericks will also have the option of playing him alongside Kristaps Porzingis, making them one of the better shot-blocking frontcourts in the league.
#2 Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics missed out on their No.1 NBA trade deadline day target, Nikola Vucevic. The Serbian center joined Chicago Bulls instead, leaving the Boston Celtics undermanned in the frontcourt. To make things worse, the Celtics recently traded Daniel Theis, leaving Tristan Thompson as the only specialist center on the roster.
Danny Ainge and co. still have an opportunity to add a quality center, with DeMarcus Cousins available on the market. NBA rumors have linked 'Boogie' Cousins with the 17-time champions in the last few weeks, and a deal between the two parties could turn out to be mutually beneficial. The Celtics lack a scorer in the paint, and DeMarcus Cousins will be providing just that for Brad Stevens' side.
#1 Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been on a roll this season and currently lead the Eastern Conference with a 32-14 record. Joel Embiid has been in stellar touch and looked like a strong contender to win the MVP award before going down with an injury.
However, the Sixers have struggled to settle on his backup, as the team have tried Tony Bradley, Mike Scott and Vincent Poirier in the minutes Embiid sits. Head coach Doc Rivers will definitely want a more seasoned player than the aforementioned trio, and that's where DeMarcus Cousins enters the frame.
DeMarcus Cousins is a six time All-Star and has averaged an impressive 20.8 points and 10 rebounds for his career, numbers which highlight his pedigree. The Philadelphia 76ers' conference rivals Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets made some major moves on NBA trade deadline day, and it's now Daryl Morey's turn to potentially roll the dice on the former New Orleans Pelicans man.
