The Shocking Turn: How Golden State Landed DeMarcus Cousins on a Dime

Remember the summer of 2018? It was a time, you might recall, when the NBA’s free agency carousel was spinning wildly, full of anticipation. And, honestly, at the very top of everyone’s most-wanted list, towering above almost every other name, sat DeMarcus Cousins. Here was a center, truly, a force of nature—a dominant, multifaceted big man with a scoring touch, a passing eye, and, yes, a reputation that certainly preceded him. Teams, without a doubt, were ready to open their coffers, preparing to shower him with max contracts, a testament to his undeniable talent.

But then, life, or rather, professional sports, threw a curveball—a devastating, gut-wrenching one, actually. In January of that year, Cousins suffered what every athlete dreads: a ruptured Achilles tendon. Just like that, the landscape shifted. A max contract, once a certainty, vanished into thin air. The future, which had seemed so bright and lucrative, became, well, incredibly uncertain. His market value, once astronomical, plummeted almost overnight, a stark, painful reminder of the brutal realities of elite athletics.

Before that fateful injury, the New Orleans Pelicans, his then-current team, had reportedly laid out a hefty offer: a two-year deal worth a cool $40.7 million. A serious commitment, wouldn’t you agree? That kind of money, that kind of trust, was what Cousins had earned. But post-injury? Things were, shall we say, drastically different. The phones, which had been ringing off the hook, suddenly went quiet. The bidding war that everyone expected simply… evaporated. No team, it seemed, was willing to bet big on a player recovering from such a significant, career-altering injury.

And this, my friends, is precisely where the Golden State Warriors, already reigning champions, already a bona fide dynasty in the making, entered the picture. They saw not a damaged goods situation, not a huge question mark, but an unparalleled opportunity. While others hesitated, the Warriors swooped in, offering Cousins a one-year, $5.3 million deal—the mid-level exception. Five point three million! Let that sink in for a moment. It was a staggering bargain, a calculated risk, certainly, but a potential reward that was almost too good to be true. To sign a player of Cousins’ caliber, an All-Star, for essentially pennies on the dollar? It was, in truth, an absolute steal.

So, there it was: an already stacked roster, featuring Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, somehow got even stronger. Adding Cousins, even a recovering one, meant an unprecedented collection of talent. Could he return to his former glory? Would his Achilles hold up? These were the questions, the lingering doubts, but for the Warriors, the upside was just too immense to ignore. It was a 'prove-it' deal, yes, but for a team that had little to lose and everything to gain, it was a stroke of genius, or perhaps, simply perfect timing.

Ultimately, this whole saga serves as a rather vivid reminder of how quickly things can change in sports. One moment, you’re on top of the world, staring down a massive contract; the next, you’re taking a gamble, betting on yourself, with the hope of reclaiming what was lost. And for the Golden State Warriors, it meant acquiring a talent they never should have been able to afford, cementing, at least for a season, one of the most formidable lineups the NBA has ever seen.