6 big men the Rockets can still sign in free agency

2. DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins is the most high-profile free agents remaining in this year’s free agent class, with the exception of Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram, who is a restricted free agent. Davis is sure to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Rockets will almost surely not be in pursuit of Ingram.

With Cousins’ all-around skillset, it’s a bit of a surprise that he’s still unsigned, as even the diminished 2018-19 version of the four-time All-Star yielded 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists for the Golden State Warriors. Cousins has dealt with a significant number of injuries, which significantly hindered his value around the league during each of the last two free agent periods.

Cousins is one of the best playmaking centers in the NBA, as he led the Sacramento Kings iwith 4.8 assists during the 2016-17 season, and posted a career-best 5.4 assists during the 2017-8 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Rockets could benefit from Boogie’s playmaking, as they are short of facilitators, and the 30-year-old former All-NBA center could allow Christian Wood to play the power forward position, which could be beneficial given Wood’s 214-pound frame.

Cousins figures to get a call from the Los Angeles Lakers, as he’s already established a relationship with both Anthony Davis and LeBron James, and especially if the Lakers aren’t able to reel in Marc Gasol. If not, the Rockets could do much worse than the two-time All-NBA big man.

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