Houston Rockets guard Chris Clemons, who just suffered a torn Achilles, has a teammate in DeMarcus Cousins who knows exactly what he’s going through.
“I spoke with him last night after the game,” Cousins said. “My only message was just take your time. One thing I noticed with professional athletes and injuries, we love our craft, we love the game itself. Once you have tough off, you’re always itching to get back and play that game. … We’re so used to playing through pain. Sometimes, we feel like we’re in a good place when it’s not necessarily the case. My only message is take his time, get everything right, he has a lot of basketball left to play in his career.”
Clemons, 23, will now be assured his $1.5 million salary for the upcoming NBA season, as it was previously non-guaranteed.
The Rockets could create flexibility and open up a roster spot by trading the injured Clemons to either a team that has cap space or a trade exception, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
If they ultimately choose to keep him, the Rockets will have to waive another player before the regular season.
Clemons will undergo season-ending surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
