Report: Lakers 'actively pursuing' DeMarcus Cousins trade

[lacocat]

The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the most determined trade suitors for Sacramento Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN that the Lakers have been actively pursuing trade scenarios in recent weeks in attempt to construct a deal that would convince the Kings to part with Cousins.
Sources say that the Lakers, Kings and Orlando Magic have had exploratory dialogue on a three-way Cousins trade that would land the 24-year-old in Los Angeles. All three teams hold top-6 picks in Thursday's NBA draft, and Orlando has a young top-flight center of its own in Nikola Vucevic, who could theoretically fill the Cousins void.

Kobe doesn't have time to wait on Tows or Okafor to develop, would trade the #2 overall for Cuz and try to make one or two more playoff runs.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25222126

 

[Smashcat]

We've seen a lot of Cousins trade rumors. I'd like this one to be true.

 

[hotelblue]

cousins and randle together? lol

that'd be some serious offensive power.

 

[W2R]

cousins and randle together? lol

that'd be some serious offensive power.

Randle might be thrown in. What else besides the second pick do they have to offer for a proven all star big like boogie

 

[hotelblue]

Randle might be thrown in. What else besides the second pick do they have to offer for a proven all star big like boogie

money?

 

[king of cali]

cousins and randle together? lol

that'd be some serious offensive power.

Randle would have to be included in trade. The Lakers don't have enough players under contract to make it work without him.

 

[hotelblue]

too bad. what will the lakers have when kobe retires? they could have randle and okafor and another top pick next year. or cousins. that's actually risky for the lakers to do that for kobe. no doubt cousins is the best center, but i have big expectations for randle. if i was them i would not trade him at all.

 

[hotelblue]

if kobe is healthy enough to be kobe, then the addition of cousins definitely puts them in decent position. they'd still need other moves though if they want to be serious about winning in the playoffs.

 

[KopiKat]

I've always hated the Lakers but I would love for this to happen - get DC away from that tired act of a whiney head coach, George Karl, who would undoubtedly take action to destroy DC in Sacramento.

 

[jrpross]

Jeez. A draft pick that I assume will be Okafor AND Randle seems stiff even for Boogie.

 

[lacocat]

I can't figure out what trade they are trying to make. Read the article it says Lakers are trying a 3 team deal with Lakers Kings Magic. They each have a top 6 pick Thursday night 2,5,6 and Cousins and Nikola Vucevic are the moving pieces. Doesn't all seem to quite fit, they need a 4th team maybe.

 

[Chino1176]

If the lakers have to include randle and the 2, the gotta know already that they are singing love. Not sure the cap works for that though.

 

[Aike]

The rumor is that Vucevic would end up in SAC, along with Orlando's 5th place pick.

Orlando would end up with the Lakers 2nd pick and draft Okafor.

Lakers would get Cousins and the 6th pick.

Why would anybody do this?

SAC only does this if the situation with Cousins is pretty terrible, and they prefer to move forward with a slightly cheaper Vucevic.

Orlando would gain cap space and start over at center with Okafor instead of Vucevic. Presumably would be easier to resign Tobias Harris.

Lakers would have an All-Star center now instead of waiting on one.

Why wouldn't they do it?

For SAC, they have Cousins locked up for 3 years and he's already an all star. You would think they would try to make it work.

Orlando probably should do this unless they are just in love with Vucevic going forward.

Lakers would lose a lot of cap flexibility this coming season. They would be in a position where they had to hit a home run in Free Agency pretty soon or they would be in danger of becoming an LA version of the SAC Kings.

 

[Aike]

Btw, there would be other picks and players involved. Jordan Hill, for instance.

 

[catfaninsc]

Don't see them giving up Randall and the 2. Even for Cuz. They are really thin and even if they get Love I do not think they would do this.

 

[kyisinmyblood]

All hypothetical of course.

Orlando gets LAL #2 pick.
LAL gets boogie.
Sac gets Vucevic and Orlando #5 pick.

Orlando could be in love with Jah or DR..
Don't see it happening but it isn't that far fetched of a trade.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

The rumor is that Vucevic would end up in SAC, along with Orlando's 5th place pick.

Orlando would end up with the Lakers 2nd pick and draft Okafor.

Lakers would get Cousins and the 6th pick.

Why would anybody do this?

SAC only does this if the situation with Cousins is pretty terrible, and they prefer to move forward with a slightly cheaper Vucevic.

Orlando would gain cap space and start over at center with Okafor instead of Vucevic. Presumably would be easier to resign Tobias Harris.

Lakers would have an All-Star center now instead of waiting on one.

Why wouldn't they do it?

For SAC, they have Cousins locked up for 3 years and he's already an all star. You would think they would try to make it work.

Orlando probably should do this unless they are just in love with Vucevic going forward.

Lakers would lose a lot of cap flexibility this coming season. They would be in a position where they had to hit a home run in Free Agency pretty soon or they would be in danger of becoming an LA version of the SAC Kings.

As a Lakers fan Cousins and the #6 pick would be nice if they got to keep Randle. I do not ever see the Lakers being like the Kings long term. They certainly were last season.

 

[Larry Skaggs]

Cousins is better than Kevin Love and Love was traded for two overall number one picks.

 

[Aike]

As a Lakers fan Cousins and the #6 pick would be nice if they got to keep Randle. I do not ever see the Lakers being like the Kings long term. They certainly were last season.

I'm a Laker fan too, and I would do that trade. But you need to snag a Durant or Westbrook the next couple of years to really make it work.

I wouldn't do that trade if you had to send both the pick and Randle.

 

[Aike]

Cousins is better than Kevin Love and Love was traded for two overall number one picks.

IMO, Cleveland overpaid for Love, because they were trying to win now. It almost worked.

 

[lacocat]

IMO, Cleveland overpaid for Love, because they were trying to win now. It almost worked.

If LeBron had Love, Kyrie, or Wiggins the Finals is a lot tighter. If you asked LeBron in hindsight now if he wants Wiggins or Love I'd have to think he'd take Wiggins and salary cap room for 3 years over Love's max deal. LeBron went for it though.

 

[Chico&TheMan]

All hypothetical of course.

Orlando gets LAL #2 pick.
LAL gets boogie.
Sac gets Vucevic and Orlando #5 pick.

Orlando could be in love with Jah or DR..
Don't see it happening but it isn't that far fetched of a trade.

Vucevic has more value than just moving up 3 spots in the draft. The Magic would definitely be getting more in return than that.

 

[kyisinmyblood]

I agree, he is a damn good player. Not boogie good, but still good.

He is in the last year of his contract. He would have to be paid.. Maybe the magic love Jah or DR. Either way don't see boogie being traded, like I said all hypothetical.

 

[Aike]

Vucevic has more value than just moving up 3 spots in the draft. The Magic would definitely be getting more in return than that.

I don't think this trade will actually happen, but there is value in gaining cap room by moving Vucevic while presumably bringing in a more talented post player in Okafor.

But there are also some other picks floating around (Lakers have 27 and 34), so they could be included in a deal like this too.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

would love to see Bryant, Cousins, and Randle on the same roster. Team would get a TON of late night tv time like the Warriors did this past year.

Yeah, would be fun...if everyone could stay healthy. No offense to Randle, but if the Lakers could somehow trade for cousins and sign Love that would be a great front court on paper...with Randle as the 6th man off the bench I guess. As a Lakers fan I like to dream big, I doubt any of this happens and the Lakers continue to suck due to Buss JR effing it up.

 

[KopiKat]

Why would anybody do this?

SAC only does this if the situation with Cousins is pretty terrible, and they prefer to move forward with a slightly cheaper Vucevic.

Because one bad decision must always be followed by another, that's why. Know it. Live it.

Maybe it's a matter of the situation with George Karl being pretty terrible - where they hired a new head coach, unaware that he would immediately afterward begin objecting to the star center for whatever reasons he already brought with him (prejudice against Cousins is how I will say it - hate me if you will), and now the Kings find themselves as not the first NBA organization to ever have to immediately start sacrificing key pieces in order to prevent making their coaching decision from looking like a horrible, horrible hire.

 

[Chino1176]

If they can get cuz and the sixth pick for randle and the 2, then do it and draft wcs at six.

 

[AGEE11]

If they can get him the Lakers could get really good, really quick.

Rumor is Kobe wants Rondo (and I think he can keep Rondo in check a la KG)
They will also sign either Love or Aldridge

A team with Rondo, Kobe, Aldridge, and Cousins competes this year for a title. They were crap last year, but that crap team would be an fantastic supporting cast.

I have seen this before, but I think the trade shakes out as follows:
Lakers get Cousins
Kings get Vucevic
Magic Get #2 pick (giving them two top 6 picks)

Will have to be more players in there, but I would hope LA could keep Randle and Clarkson. Then I can wear my Nick Van Exel jersey with pride again! LOL at high school fashions

 

[MWes11]

Demarcus is definitely on the move somewhere. He just tweeted that George Karl is a snake, along with many other NBA stars including Melo, Ty Lawson, Igoudala, JR Smith.

 

[MWes11]

are all those guys replying to Cousins' tweet or are they all in response to a particular thing?

I don't think they are replying to Boogie's tweet. All of those players have said that about George Karl recently, or in the past.

 

[MWes11]

N B A T A L K ‏@Talk_NBA_ 18s19 seconds ago
Report: Kings owner Vivek Ranadive WILL NOT allow head coach George Karl to trade all-star C Demarcus Cousins (ESPN)

N B A T A L K ‏@Talk_NBA_ 44s45 seconds ago
Report: The Lakers offered to trade the No. 2 overall draft pick for C Demarcus Cousins but Kings owner rejected the trade

 

[W2R]

Now Bledsoe on the trading block. So sac and Phoenix both give max contracts to boogie and Bledsoe just a year ago and now they are being shopped around. Phoenix did a lot of good this past couple years when everyone left them for dead. Bledsoe has exceeded expectations and was rewarded for it. Just seems kinda crazy to me. They do have plenty of guards tho.

Even though I would love it and would probably start watching the lakers. I just don't see any way possible for them to keep,Randle and get cousins.

 

[mj2k10]

Cousins is better than Kevin Love and Love was traded for two overall number one picks.

That's only sort of true. The Cavs traded the #1 overall pick and Anthony Bennett. Yes, Bennett was a #1 overall pick, but since he'd already played a season and shown that he was one of the worst #1 overall's ever, his status changed completely.

Either way, LeBron the GM screwed that one up, and the Cavs (and LeBron if he was being honest) almost certainly regret the move. LeBron has a history of overvaluing veteran players, as he previously pushed Cleveland to sign an old Antawn Jamison and a totally broken-down Shaq. Maybe the way some of the younger guys stepped up for Cleveland this year will prevent it in the future.

 

[Mojocat]

So, the only reason the Kings would make this deal is because George Karl can't stand DC. If reports are true, he's gone so far as to try to rally his players to his cause - going to them individually to make the case for trading Boogie, hoping they'll in turn go to the owner in support of Karl.

Can you imagine anything more poisonous to a locker room?

If I'm the owner, one of them - Boogie or Karl - has to go. And I know which is the obvious pick......

 

[weused2luvhim2]

The thought of Cousins playing with Kobe makes me cringe. They wouldn't make it until Christmas before some big blow up.

 

[W2R]

So, the only reason the Kings would make this deal is because George Karl can't stand DC. If reports are true, he's gone so far as to try to rally his players to his cause - going to them individually to make the case for trading Boogie, hoping they'll in turn go to the owner in support of Karl.

Can you imagine anything more poisonous to a locker room?

If I'm the owner, one of them - Boogie or Karl - has to go. And I know which is the obvious pick......

Sad thing is , this will probably get turned around on Cousins as if he was the problem . If cousins stays in Sac and Karl ends up leaving or turmoil next season, Cousins wI'll be labeled as a coach killer worse than he already is

 

[W_Heisenberg]

One of 2 things will happen:

1) Cousins gets traded
2) Karl gets fired

 

[MWes11]

Supposedly DeMarcus has been asking for a trade for over a month. I would want out of that hell hole of a franchise too. Has been horrible lately.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...emarcus-cousins-asked-for-a-trade-a-month-ago

 

[Chino1176]

Please let this work out. Don't want the lakers picking okafor. If the lakers can make this trade, I'd like to see russell or a trade back to pick willie.

 

[mj2k10]

Cousins needs to go for his own good, but I don't think the story is as simple as the Kings putting a crap team and organization around him. That's certainly part of it, but does anyone really doubt that Cousins is very, very difficult to deal with?

Cousins has reached the point where he needs to go elsewhere to have different, hopefully better surroundings, but also so he can't blame the surroundings for his flaws. Which he clearly has- he's a foul and turnover machine, and his defensive effort can vanish into the ether. In Sacramento, he's at the point where he's unlikely to listen to anyone. If he goes somewhere else, hopefully he not only gets a better supporting cast, but also takes more responsibility for all the little things that effect the W-L columns.