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The Los Angeles Lakers desperately needed an upgrade to the front court this offseason. While trading for Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins would certainly address that issue, the price to acquire such a talented player would certainly be too high.
In order to make a trade for Cousins as they’re actively pursuing, the Lakers would likely have to part ways with one (if not both) of their prized possessions heading into the offseason – the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and sophomore power forward Julius Randle.
While adding Cousins would certainly be a risk worth taking if it meant parting with one of those pieces, the fact that it would take more than that makes this an undesirable situation for the Lakers to be in.
It’s no secret the Lakers prefer to rebuild through free agency and trades instead of the NBA Draft. It’s been going on for years, but the plan has recently led them to becoming one of the worst franchises in the NBA. That’s why it seems so strange they’d be willing to give up so much to acquire a proven big man with character problems.
I’m all for acquiring top-tier talent, but giving up the future of the franchise just doesn’t seem smart. The Lakers would realistically have to part with both Randle and the No. 2 pick (which they’d likely use on big man Jahlil Okafor) in return for Cousins. More may even be necessary in order to make the pieces fall into place. Is that a price worth paying for a team that still has so many holes to fill?
It’s great to see the Lakers so serious about making big moves this offseason, but it should start with free agency. There are a handful of All-Star caliber players on the open market, and Los Angeles has more than enough money to add at least one of them. The Lakers should throw their money at a few of those free agents before they mortgage their future on Cousins.
We’re not even past the 2015 NBA Draft, and I’m already concerned with the Lakers’ decision making this offseason.
