Fansided

The Whiteboard: Will DeMarcus Cousins help the Warriors?

By Ti Windisch

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 20: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans exchanges words with Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during a game at Smoothie King Center on October 20, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 20: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans exchanges words with Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during a game at Smoothie King Center on October 20, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Is the NBA ruined (again) because DeMarcus Cousins agreed to sign with the Golden State Warriors? Maybe not.

For the third consecutive evening, NBA news ended up breaking the internet. On Monday night the news in question was that DeMarcus Cousins had agreed to a one-year, roughly $5 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

The biggest question was the same one that gets asked every time the Warriors do anything — is the NBA ruined? Does the regular season have no meaning? Does anything even matter?

I mean, maybe nothing does matter, but if so it’s not because Golden State added a player in free agency that not many teams seemed very interested in. Chris Haynes reported that Boogie was down to the Celtics and Warriors in his decision, and considering Boston already has Al Horford and Aron Baynes, it’s not likely he was going to have a huge role there, at least right away.

The Warriors, on the other hand, are losing many of their seemingly endless centers from last season. Boogie won’t play a big role right away in Golden State, though, due to the torn Achilles he suffered last season. Although he estimates a training camp return, other estimates don’t see Cousins back in action until as late as January.

Even when he does return, Boogie will not be the All-NBA talent he was in recent memory right away, if ever again. The small chance of him somehow beating the odds and returning to form by the postseason make this a risk worth taking for the Warriors, but they did not sign a player who is going to contend for an All-NBA team next season.

Even putting aside any concerns about Cousins not being a great fit with what the Warriors do, his injury alone means there was not much of a market for Boogie. According to the man himself, the New Orleans Pelicans didn’t even make him an offer, instead signing Julius Randle earlier on Monday.

Golden State should’ve been the prohibitive favorite anyway, but this deal is better for Cousins than it is for the Warriors. Boogie gets to take his time with no pressure from his team to return from this injury, and after probably winning an NBA title, he can hit free agency again, in a summer with far more money available.

Let’s all listen to Aaron Rodgers and relax a little bit.

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