DeMarcus Cousins will practice with G-League team as he inches closer to return

DeMarcus Cousins looks to be on track for his return to the court, which has long been realistically pegged at “around Christmas.”

The Golden State Warriors’ all-star will practice with the Warriors’ G-League team and has been more vocal as of late, a signal of good news to teammate Kevin Durant.

Cousins tore his left Achilles tendon in January while with the New Orleans Pelicans. He signed as a free agent with Golden State in the offseason and hasn’t played in more than 10 months.

The eight-year veteran will practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors, where his younger brother Jaleel plays, to properly get back up to NBA speed since Golden State practices are “too light,” according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.

“We don’t practice much just like any other NBA team since we have so many NBA games,” Kerr said, per the Mercury News. “He needs more intense and focused practice time. Hopefully he can get some of that in Santa Cruz.”

Kerr said it was a “possibility” that Cousins will play in games for Santa Cruz, per the Mercury News.

Durant told media Friday that Cousins has been more vocal as of late, which he noticed means something good happened in his rehab.

“You can see he’s a little bit more excited because he’s closer and closer,” Durant said. “It’s much more than just what he says on the court. His whole demeanor, you can tell he’s doing something he loves. You get basketball taken away for so long, you’re going to have your good and bad days. But he’s been great for us.”

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