DeMarcus Cousins Has Reportedly Suffered A Torn ACL

It has been a brutal two years for DeMarcus Cousins, who saw what was surely to be a max contract coming his way last summer taken away from him when he ruptured his Achilles in January 2018.

Cousins signed a mid-level deal with the Warriors and he rehabbed for a year to get back on the court, performing well once he got back, proving he still was an offensive force post-Achilles. However, a quad injury suffered in the first round of the playoffs kept him out until the Finals and when he did return he didn’t have the same lift or burst, and struggled to be consistently effective.

This summer, he agreed to a deal to join the Lakers to once again try and boost his value for next summer and prove he can be a valuable piece on a contender. Then, on Thursday, it was announced he had suffered a knee injury. Shortly after, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirmed the worst fears, reporting Cousins had torn his ACL.

While we don’t know for sure what the timetable on this would be, it certainly could spell the end of his 2019-20 season before it even begins. We’ll have to wait on an official release for details on when a potential return could be, but for now the hope is that Cousins will be able to make a full recovery and, once past this rehab, will be able to stay healthy and on the court next year.

As for the Lakers, it’s a significant blow to their frontcourt depth as the center position was among the biggest questions entering the year — particularly given Anthony Davis’ apprehension towards playing the five consistently. This will put JaVale McGee into a much bigger role, require more minutes at the five from Davis, and likely cause the Lakers to seek out a free agent that can bolster their rotation.