The LA Lakers are reportedly trying to trade for DeMarcus Cousins heading into the NBA draft on Thursday, as media reports have Los Angeles looking to pull off a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic that could include Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and/or the number two overall pick to get Jahlil Okafor.
The Lakers have been connected to a number of players this offseason, including Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic and now a report has the team looking into a trade for Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the Lakers are one of the "most determined trade suitors" for Cousins and sources report that "exploratory dialogue on a three-way Cousins trade" has gone on between the teams.
Stein reports that the Lakers, Kings and Magic have talked about a deal in the early stages and it would send Cousins to Los Angeles, while Sacramento likely would get the number two pick in the draft. Stein writes that since the Lakers have "limited assets" to use in a trade, the team likely would be looking to deal the number two pick along with either Jordan Clarkson or Julius Randle. Cousins is an All-Star player and the Laker would likely have to give up more than just draft picks if a deal did happen.
Sacramento front office leader Vlade Divac has said that the team is not looking to trade Cousins, but things could change if a strong package is pushed by the Lakers and Magic. Stein writes that since all three teams have "top six picks in the draft" and that the Magic could move Nikola Vucevic to the Kings or the Lakers as part of the deal, with Randle and Clarkson also potentially moving.
Pro Basketball Talk writes that they "can't see this happening" because the Lakers don't have enough to trade and the website also speculates that the team would not "give up Randle and the No. 2" pick. There are a lot of moving parts to a trade like this and it's more likely that the teams sit tight and don't make the move. The Lakers will likely get the chance to draft Jahlil Okafor if they keep the number two pick, while the Magic have been mentioned in connection with Kristaps Porzingis.
Cousins has been mentioned in trade rumors since earlier in the season, but the Kings have not come close to making a deal for the center. The team and Divac have been consistent about saying that Cousins is not being shopped, but there is always a chance the Kings could get a good enough deal to say yes. Cousins has turned out to be one of the top big men in the game and a move with him could really frustrate the fan base. The team just hired George Karl and they have been mentioned as an option for Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson.
Draft time always sees trade rumors and talk about what team is drafting which player and which player had a bad workout and so on, so it all could be chatter, but sometimes these deals play out.
Check here for more on the report about Cousins and the Lakers.
