If given the opportunity to play on the same team again, as they did at Kentucky, DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall would jump at the chance.
Or something.
The Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards squared off on Monday night, so naturally the topic came up. And Cousins, for his part, was relatively forthcoming, as far as answers to such questions go during the middle of the season, per The Washington Post‘s Candace Buckner:
DeMarcus Cousins & John Wall talk constantly. So have they ever talked about playing together in the NBA? "
Cousins: It’s came up."— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) November 28, 2016
Cousins deserves special kudos for entertaining this possibility without throwing the Kings under the bus, by the way:
A smiling DeMarcus Cousins said: "You never know what will happen. It’s the NBA so hopefully one day (Wall) will be in a Sacramento uniform"
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) November 28, 2016
To be honest, it’s more likely these two would join forces in Sacramento than in Washington. The Wizards are going to be capped out for a while after re-signing Otto Porter this summer, and they have stacks of cash committed to bigs Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi over the next few years. Failing a bunch of salary dumps, they will have neither the means nor motive to pursue Cousins once he hits free agency in 2018.
Of course, it’s far more likely these two sync up outside both Washington and Sacramento, if they partner up at all. Wall isn’t a free agent until 2019, a full year after Cousins’ jaunt, and it’s tough to imagine Boogie lasting that long with the Kings. Chances are he’s traded ahead of his free agency or signs elsewhere once he gets there.
But that doesn’t mean the dream has to die. Cousins’ next team could have cap space and a need for a point guard in 2019. You never know.
