Two decisions rocked the NBA world this weekend: first, Paul George re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then came the bigger announcement: LeBron James inked a four-year max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, instantly vaulting the Lakers into title contention. But what about DeMarcus Cousins?
Boogie is perhaps the last remaining big question mark as free agency continues. He’s coming off of a torn Achilles, and he’s known as an at-times difficult locker-room presence but he is one of the most gifted big men in the game. Will the Lakers make a run at him?
Considering they’ve been throwing money at guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lance Stephenson, and they’re reportedly considering bringing back Brook Lopez, they may run out of cap space.
Hearing Brook Lopez is a good bet to return to the Lakers. LA probably out of the running for DeMarcus Cousins after using a good amount of cap space to retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 2, 2018
It seems, however, that Cousins wants to end up in the purple and gold. His agent liked a tweet calling for the Lakers to sign the Pelicans big.
— Toasted (@Toasted_6) July 2, 2018
Before his injury, Cousins averaged 36.2 minutes, 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. The 6-foot-11 former Kentucky standout will turn 28 before the 2018-19 season commences. His most recent deal paid him $17 million per year, but he is in line for a raise.
Lakers’ Future
Now that LeBron is officially in the fold, the question becomes what else the Lakers will do. Perhaps they will, after all, chase Cousins, giving LeBron a dominant center to play alongside.
The likelier scenario, however, is that they will attempt to flip some of their young assets (like Brandon Ingram) and future picks for Kawhi Leonard, the disgruntled Spurs superstar. For a breakdown of the full Kawhi situation, listen to the latest episode of the Uncomfortable Questions With Scott Cooley podcast, featuring Chris Sheridan.
