The Golden State Warriors have plans to send DeMarcus Cousins to their G-League affiliate to continue his rehabilitation when he's ready for increased basketball activities.

Steve Kerr has told reporters that the star will start practicing with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the next couple of weeks and could possibly play a few games with the side before rejoining them for NBA competition.

The center is expected to make his Warriors debut sometime after Christmas, following his summer move in free agency, and he has already taken part in a full five-on-five scrimmage.

RELATED: DeMARCUS COUSINS LOOKING TO RETURN FROM INJURY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Cousins hasn't played since tearing his Achilles tendon during a game against the Houston Rockets - while he was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans - in January. The Warriors took a gamble on the star, but it's a risk they could afford to take given their already star-studded squad, who could win another title without him, and the fact that he will only be earning a $5 million salary this season.

The All-Star center was averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game before his injury and was also shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Cousins hasn't suffered any setbacks in his recovery and has passed every physical test so far. Kerr is looking to have the player head to the G-League because the Warriors don't practice very often, given that they play so many games.

“He’ll probably go down to Santa Cruz in the next couple weeks and practice with our G League team and get more live action," the head coach explained.

"We don’t practice much, like every other NBA team, because we have so many games. He needs more intense, focused practice time and hopefully, he can get some of that in Santa Cruz.”

via nbcsports.com

What This Means

Cousins is likely very close to returning to full action. His current workouts are apparently not tough enough for him at this point so a short spell in the G-League is needed to get him back to real-game intensity.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have most probably lost Damian Jones for the rest of the season, with the center having undergone surgery on a torn pectoral muscle. He is expected to begin rehab in six weeks but will be sidelined for five or six months.

That Cousins could come in soon should more than soften the blow.

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