Knicks Could Chase DeMarcus Cousins If They Don't Land Kevin Durant
The New York Knicks will be going full-bore after Kevin Durant when NBA free agency opens this weekend. But if they don’t land Durant for some reason, they could turn their attention elsewhere. They could reportedly chase fellow Golden State Warriors free agent DeMarcus Cousins.
The Knicks are weighing the prospect of extending a considerable one-year offer to Warriors free-agent big man DeMarcus Cousins if they miss out on top target Kevin Durant, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 27, 2019
The idea of offering Cousins a high-dollar, one-year deal could be smart. The idea would be giving the 28-year-old center a chance to prove himself for a season, then decide whether or not to keep him long-term. And if Cousins didn’t perform, the cap space he took up would be cleared by next summer.
The 2020 free agent class also looks to be a good one. Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and more will likely be available next summer.
The Knicks would obviously prefer to land Durant, Kawhi Leonard or any of the top-tier free agents this summer. But they could quickly turn their attention to high-dollar, short-term deals if they don’t land a big fish.
Cousins played in just 30 games for the Warriors during the 2018-19 season as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon. When he finally hit the floor he averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 25.7 minutes per game.