Having tried to move hell and high water to score a trade for Kawhi Leonard, only to fall short of the door, the Los Angeles Lakers could target big man DeMarcus Cousins on a short-term max deal, according to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.
Cousins could play as a potential superstar partner to LeBron James, who called the mercurial center “the best big man in our game” back in 2017.
The Lakers have had to stay on their toes, first hoping the Oklahoma City Thunder swingman would be happy to bolt for La La Land after a one-year venture in OKC. But as the three-and-D star drifted away from his initial promise to be nothing but a “one-year rental” for whichever team traded for him, the purple-and-gold started to target other superstars as a way to lure James into the fold.
Having taken two strikes down the middle, the front office of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are up at the batter's box again, dusting off their cleats and hoping to take a big swing for Cousins, who is unlikely to get the five-year max from the New Orleans Pelicans — who will have other salaries tied that make them unable to dole out such a hefty deal.
A partnership between James and Cousins could give defenses problems, while the short-term nature of the deal will allow utmost flexibility for both team and player as they approach the unknown.
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