Former All Star Teams Up With Nikola Jokic for the Denver Nuggets

Published 01/08/2022, 10:39 PM EST

The Denver Nuggets are planning to sign DeMarcus Cousins on a 10-Day Contract under the Hardship Exception. This news comes after the Milwaukee Bucks released him two days ago. Consequently, DeMarcus Cousins will most likely play the minutes Nikola Jokic spends on the bench.

DeMarcus Cousins has struggled to find a long-term fit ever since he left the Sacramento Kings. Since he tore his left quadriceps and left ACL, DeMarcus’ career has not been remotely close to what his potential was. However, while he may not have the physical capability to move and score like he used to, he’s still a dominant force on the post and inside the paint.

The Denver Nuggets are planning to sign free agent center DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2022

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Former All-Star joins Nikola Jokic at the Nuggets

Ever since the injury of Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic has missed that consistently reliable second option on the team. They had another exciting option on the team, Michael Porter Jr, who was expected to fulfill that role. However, even he got injured on his back and is now expected to be out long-term like Murray.

While Jokic may be single-handedly still putting MVP caliber numbers, he still needs a reliable backup option to help the Nuggets win more. And the Nuggets feel that Cousins could be suitable for that role in the short term at least.

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What does this mean for the Denver Nuggets?

A lot of experts believe that Nikola Jokic is still putting up MVP caliber numbers. However, he may miss out on the MVP discussion solely because the Nuggets are not a top 4 seed. Therefore, if DeMarcus helps the Nuggets win, he might ensure himself a longer contract.

Since it is in the long term interest of the Nuggets to look for a reliable option. Especially for the time, Jokic is on the bench. Could Cousins finally find a long term fit for himself at the Nuggets? Will he finally accept a bench role for his long term interests instead of looking for a starter role? Let us know what you think about it.

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Written by:

Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he is biased towards Houston Rockets and Arsenal, and he has shown exactly how loyal he can be through tough times. Currently a Law student at Jindal Global Law School, he aims to have his own sports management firm one day and enjoys rap music during his time off.

Former All Star Teams Up With Nikola Jokic for the Denver Nuggets

Former All-Star joins Nikola Jokic at the Nuggets

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What does this mean for the Denver Nuggets?