The Los Angeles Lakers may pursue a DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Sacramento Kings after previously discussing a framework at the NBA draft and the team likely would have to give up Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and/or D'Angelo Russell to do it and this comes as the Lakers may target LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Monroe if a trade for Cousins doesn't work.
The Lakers have been interested in a Cousins trade this offseason and while the Kings have been reluctant to make a deal, they have been open to talks with LA. Mark Heisler at the Los Angeles Daily News reports that the Lakers are the ones who really would like to get a get a deal done and they "would" trade Russell to make it happen. The report says that the Kings are not looking to trade Cousins, as owner Vivek Ranadive wants to build around him even if the Lakers offer a big package.
Heisler writes that the Kings previously wanted the second overall pick in the draft, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle along with other draft picks and that was too much for Los Angeles. The teams have a framework for a deal, but there are a lot of moving parts with the future of George Karl possibly in question in Sacramento. The Kings gave Cousins' agent the chance to look for deals on the market and that did not get done during the NBA draft and could still be an option for the Lakers or Boston Celtics.
Karl reportedly wants to trade for Ty Lawson with the Nuggets and could look at a deal with Cousins that includes Kenneth Faried, but Karl has already rocked the boat enough in Sacramento. The price tag for Cousins will be steep and the Lakers would have to give up their young core to get him, which likely has to include Randle and or/Russell. The team could look at going after Cousins and signing a number of free agents to try and win now, but that would be a short-sighted plan and not a franchise building one.
Many draft experts and basketball scouts think Russell has the chance to be successful in the NBA and the Lakers could be reluctant to put him in any deal, even for Cousins. Last season Cousins had one of his best seasons with a career best 24 points and 12 rebounds per game and he is establishing himself as one of the premier big men in the league. The Kings owner and front office want to build around Cousins and they could look at trying to sign Rajon Rondo as a free agent if they keep him him.
The Lakers have other options if the Cousins trade doesn't work, as the Los Angeles Times reports that Roy Hibbert could be a potential target for the team in a trade. Pro Basketball Talk writes that the Lakers could look at free agency as their main option if a Cousins trade doesn't happen, as players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe, Kevin Love and Jimmy Butler are hitting the market. Butler will be tough since he is a restricted free agent, but the Lakers have cap space and could be strong options for Monroe or Aldridge.
