Clippers sign DeMarcus Cousins to a second 10-day contract
Veteran center DeMarcus Cousins signed his second 10-day contract with the Clippers, the team announced Friday, hours before tipoff against Philadelphia.
A second contract had been expected, after his first expired Wednesday, following a comeback victory in Detroit in which Cousins scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. After the win, which was the Clippers’ seventh in a row, coach Tyronn Lue said the Clippers were looking forward to Cousins remaining with the team.
“He was big for us,” Lue said. “The toughest thing is late in the game, it’s hard for us to run plays because he really hasn’t caught up yet as far as the plays because we haven’t had a lot of practice time. So that kind of stumped us a little bit. But his playing, just knowing the game and IQ, to be able to shoot it, to post up … and bring physicality is great for our team.
“We’ve just got to bring him up to speed on the playbook just so we can kind of call more sets when he’s in the game.”
Cousins appeared in three games during his first contract with the Clippers, averaging 9.7 minutes and 6.0 points. During his second deal, he will be available for games against the 76ers, Minnesota, Portland, Memphis and Houston. Should the team want to keep Cousins on the roster beyond that, it would be required to sign him to a contract running through the season’s end, per league rules.
The next roster decision the Clippers must make is how to use their 15th and final roster spot once the 10-day contract of forward Malik Fitts runs out Monday. With starting guard Patrick Beverley recovering from a fractured left hand, the team is considering adding another guard for depth in case of further backcourt attrition, with Yogi Ferrell one candidate still under serious consideration.
Lakers fans should expect extensive safety changes, including a ban on all bags, for games at Staples Center.
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