When reports first surfaced that DeMarcus Cousins could potentially be available for trades, the Los Angeles Lakers were the first team to step up with a reported offer. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported the Sacramento Kings were shopping the center ahead of the NBA Draft in hopes of gaining draft picks and experience players. The Lakers were prepared to offer both, but with Cousins now off the market, what is the next move for Los Angeles?
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the Lakers were prepared to offer a package including the No.2 draft pick, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle in exchange for Cousins. The Lakers have been in the market for an elite center to take over the team and Cousins is one of the best young big men in the league right now. The match seemed perfect. However, now ESPN's Chris Broussard is reporting Cousins is not available as the Kings have no intentions of letting George Karl move the center before the NBA Draft. That leaves the Lakers at square one.
With a trade for Cousins off the table, the Lakers will continue with their plan to use the No.2 pick instead of trade it. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers will more than likely draft Jahlil Okafor with the intentions that he starts at center in 2015. The Lakers have looked at players like D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay at No.2, but most NBA sources believe the Duke center will be taken No.2 overall just like draft boards have stated for months.
That still leaves a question mark at the point guard position. With Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin on their way out of Los Angeles, it is Clarkson's time to shine. However, the Lakers were willing to toss the point guard into a trade which means there is lingering doubt that he might not be ready to be a star. Head coach Byron Scott has stated that while Clarkson had a solid rookie season, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
If the Lakers take care of the center position in the draft, they can take care of the point guard position in free agency. Rajon Rondo, Patrick Beverley and Goran Dragic will all be available once the market opens. Trades for Ty Lawson and Eric Bledsoe could still be explored. Los Angeles will have the salary cap space to acquire someone marquee if they so desire, or they could try and package a trade with someone like Nick Young and other players to acquire Lawson or Bledsoe.
The Lakers are not getting Cousins before Thursday which means the plan will likely be to select Okafor and move on to free agency. Okafor has made it clear that he likes the idea signing with the Lakers and now he just waits to hear his name called.
