The Golden State Warriors have several former players that are on the market, and two of them, Quinn Cook and DeMarcus Cousins, should consider a reunion.
Despite being in the playoff race in a tough Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors have their clear flaws.
While they were able to get Kevon Looney and James Wiseman back for their game on the road against the Knicks, the Warriors had been without the duo for the bulk of the month.
They’d been playing small-ball lineups without a single usable center on the roster. Juan Toscano-Anderson had been the fill-in center for Golden State.
After Marquese Chriss broke his foot, having more depth there should be a priority for the team. It should also be noted that Looney has struggled with injuries over the course of the last few seasons.
Another area Golden State should look to add talent is behind Brad Wanamaker. They wanted to prioritize adding a point guard this offseason, and Wanamaker was their player of choice.
Now, they have others that are becoming options with Wanamaker not necessarily having the same ceiling as potential free agents. For both those reasons, the Warriors may consider a reunion with two former Dubs that were both recently released.
DeMarcus Cousins, who thrived with the Rockets, a team opting to use Christian Wood more and allow Cousins a chance to sign with a contender, should find many suitors.
With the Rockets, the former top-five pick is averaging 9.6 points per game. He’s also bringing down 7.6 rebounds per game. Now, his efficiency has taken a hit as he’s shooting under 50 percent from the field.
Staying on the court and being a big presence for the team, Cousins could help Golden State. It’s still tough to trust his reliability after Cousins has had injuries to just about everything in his lower body.
With a torn quad, torn Achilles, and torn ACL all within the past four years, Cousins should be an option for the Golden State Warriors as they should be willing to take a flier on a high-potential big man.
Quinn Cook, a point guard, that played for the Warriors from 2017-2019, has spent the last two seasons with the Lakers. Cook and Cousins both joined the Lakers after the Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Before being released by the Lakers, Cook was averaging 2.1 points and 3.9 minutes per game. The team had been using Alex Caruso, LeBron James, and many other options at point guard instead of Cook.
It was a good move for both Cook and the Lakers to part ways. A former Duke Blue Devil, Cook had his best two seasons in the NBA with the Warriors, and he could easily find a home in the Bay Area again.
The Warriors may have to part ways with others to bring in Cousins or Cook, but if they view them as crucial pieces to their depth, expect them to make it happen by releasing a shooting guard or trading a young prospect.