Despite a likely season-ending torn ACL injury, the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to integrate DeMarcus Cousins into the team's new culture, expecting him to be around the roster during a LeBron James-led minicamp in Las Vegas this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Cousins won't be able to take part in any physical activities, but the thought is that he would benefit from the camaraderie with his teammates and vice versa, even if he can't take the floor at all during this upcoming 2019-20 season.
The big man is coming off an awful train of injuries — initially tearing his Achilles in January of 2018, missing nearly an entire calendar year before his return. Cousins then played his first playoff game with the Golden State Warriors, only to get hurt minutes into the next — this time with a partially torn quad — quickly going back into recovery mode once again and coming back in time for the NBA Finals.
Cousins then suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during workouts in Las Vegas after signing with the Lakers in free agency. The team applied for a Disabled Player Exception from the NBA and has since been awarded a $1.75 million exception, which should cover half of his one-year salary of $3.5 million.
Even at the wake of such health disasters, the Lakers are hoping that the center spot is safe after signing JaVale McGee to a two-year, $8.2 million deal and snatching Dwight Howard after he was bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies.
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