Wall tried to recruit Cousins to Wizards

Washington Wizards point guard John Wall was seeking a reunion with old friend DeMarcus Cousins in D.C. before the big man opted to head west and join the Golden State Warriors.

Coming off a torn Achilles that ended his 2017-18 campaign in January, Cousins was testing a quiet free-agent market to little avail when Wall attempted to lure his former Kentucky teammate to Washington. However, Boogie's recovery timeline complicated the logistics of it ever panning out

"At the time I (thought we needed a center who could play right (away), Wall told Ben Standig of The Sports Capitol. "Nine times out of 10 (Cousins) is not going to be ready at the beginning of the season. I think we need a guy who can be a starting center right now."

Cousins isn't expected to return to the court for a while, and the Wizards ultimately agreed to a two-year, $11-million deal with veteran center Dwight Howard.

Before his injury last season, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and five assists across 48 games. He signed a one-year deal with the back-to-back champion Warriors worth $5.3 million.