SACRAMENTO, Calif. ---- The Sacramento Kings have signed center DeMarcus Cousins to a multi-year contract extension, according to General Manager Pete D'Alessandro. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Selected by Sacramento as an undergraduate out of Kentucky with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the 6-11, 270-pound center has accrued career averages of 16.3 points (.448 FG%, .704 FT%), 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 29.8 minutes per game in 220 career games (started 198) spanning three seasons. Cousins ranked ninth in the NBA in rebounding (9.9 rpg) last season, pacing the Kings on the glass and leading the team in scoring (17.1 ppg) and steals (1.44 spg). One of the most durable Kings players in recent memory, he has missed just two games due to injury since entering the league.
"DeMarcus is a unique talent with skills rarely witnessed at the center position," said D'Alessandro. "His combination of size, quickness and athleticism lends an invaluable dimension to our team now and in seasons to come. We look forward to watching DeMarcus continue his development into one of the best players in the game."
"I am excited to continue to be a part of the Kings under the leadership of Vivek Ranadivé and the Sacramento ownership group," said Cousins. "I'm also thankful to work alongside Pete D'Alessandro and Coach Michael Malone. I'm anxious to get back on the court with my teammates and can't wait to play in front of the best fans in professional sports. I plan on showing them my appreciation this season and beyond."
For his career, Cousins has notched one triple-double, tallied a 40-point performance, and registered three 20-point, 20-rebound contests (two of which were 30-point, 20-rebound efforts). His NBA experience includes participation on the USA Basketball Select Team in each of the last two summers.