Per ESPN's Marc Spears, Golden State Warriors big man DeMarcus Cousins had wanted to return in the month of December, but the Warriors and his camp agreed for him to come back from injury on the 18th of January.
Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins considered returning in early December and on Jan. 16 against the visiting Pelicans before he, his team and the Warriors concluded on a Jan. 18 return at LAC, sources said. The Warriors players actually learned about his return date yesterday.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 9, 2019
This past offseason, the Warriors and Cousins shook the entire basketball world when they announced he would be signing with them on a one-year, $5 million contract. The Warriors already have a lineup with four all-stars, including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant. The addition of Cousins would make them simply unbeatable.
However, Cousins was still recovering from a knee injury he had suffered while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans last year. The Sacramento Kings had traded him there for Buddy Hield the season prior.
This gave the Pelicans a two-big tandem with Anthony Davis and Cousins. They were still able to make the playoffs without him, but their one-year rental never came to fruition.
Article Continues BelowFor the Warriors, Cousins knew had a chance to completely heal from injury and then hop into a heated playoff race. He's never been in the playoffs. He's always wanted to be on a title contender, and this is finally his chance to do so.
The Cousins could actually use a little bit of a boost. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have both taken a step back this season, both having the worst shooting seasons of their respective careers.
With the addition of a healthy Cousins, head coach Steve Kerr can stagger his lineups accordingly to give his other stars a rest. Plus, they won't have to worry about losing to teams because they have a dominant center.
The Warriors are now 26-14 on the season and sit second in the NBA's Western Conference.