Prior to the NBA Draft, DeMarcus Cousins was a big trade target as the Sacramento Kings were aiming to move up the board for big-named players. The drama surrounding Cousins was high and ESPN's Chris Broussard was reporting interest was high in the center as teams like the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics negotiated potential deals for the franchise star. The Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly in on the talks as well and now it is becoming clear why they failed to make the move.
With the No.2 pick in the NBA Draft, the Lakers were a big-time trade target for teams. The Kings liked the idea of getting that pick and were reportedly offering Cousins in a deal. However, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers backed out when the Kings wanted Julius Randle included in the deal. Wojnarowski writes that general manager Mitch Kupchak refused to include last year's first-round pick in the talks for Cousins and that is where things ended.
The Lakers have confidence in Randle. Despite the season-ending injury that halted his rookie season before it even started, the Lakers are counting on Randle to be a true contributor now that he is healthy. Los Angeles are likely either shaking their heads at this move or happy it failed to happen. Yes, Randle represents the future of the Lakers in the post-Kobe Bryant era. On the other hand, Cousins is much better than the rookie. With it being unclear exactly what Randle will develop into, getting a home run hit like Cousins seems like a no-brainer for Los Angeles.
The Lakers have been declining trade deals left and right despite getting linked to a number of potential moves. Throughout the offseason, the Lakers have been linked to point guard options like Eric Bledsoe and Ricky Rubio while shopping Nick Young and Robert Sacre. Instead, the Lakers appear content heading into the season with the roster they currently have. Bryant returns while Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com reports the veteran will be playing on limited minutes to start the year. D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson are the lone point guard options as head coach Byron Scott expects the two young players to form a dynamic duo for the future. Brandon Bass, Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert are the other new additions battling for court time.
Would this roster be drastically better if Cousins were a part of it? It would certainly look better on paper, but the Lakers are favoring a youth movement and at least for the time being, Cousins is not a part of it.
