LA Lakers Rumors: Demarcus Cousins Could Still Be Traded To Lakers – Kings Don’t Want Him
Earlier in the offseason, the LA Lakers had plenty of rumors swirling that they could end up trading for DeMarcus Cousins. It appears as if the asking price of the Sacramento Kings was too high so nothing ever came of it. Now, talks have started happening again and it’s mostly because many in the Kings’ organization just don’t want him around.
It’s been said for a long time that head coach George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins would never work well together. Karl reportedly wanted Cousins out of Sacramento, and that led to the center agreeing that a trade to the LA Lakers was a possibility.
The thing was, not only did rumors state that the asking price from the Kings was too high, but someone else stepped in to stop the trade. Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has long said that he did not want to trade his star center, and that a deal for him simply wasn’t going to happen.
According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, “never” is not as concrete as some may think because DeMarcus Cousins is reportedly back on the trading block.
“DeMarcus Cousins. Look, again, Sacramento I think wants to hold onto him. Certainly, owner Vivek Ranadive absolutely wants to hold onto DeMarcus Cousins. But I’ve been told that if you polled the rest of the organization, the vast majority are in favor of trading DeMarcus Cousins and that would include, though he denies it, Coach George Karl.”
Beck also states that two other big name stars could be on the trading block by the beginning of the season. The first is Joe Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets and another is Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.
The LA Lakers have spent the offseason putting together a pretty good roster and additions like Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass, and Lou Williams will help them considerably. The front office seems happy with the team they have, but aside from those veterans and Kobe Bryant, it’s a rather young Lakers’ team.
Los Angeles acquiring Hibbert is what could put a bit of a wrench into the workings of a trade for DeMarcus Cousins. If Hibbert fits in well and plays well, the addition of Cousins would give the Lakers two star centers and create the dilemma of who plays more.
The LA Lakers could make another move or could realize they’re just content with the team they have in place. Depending on how the first month or two of the regular season go, that will likely determine if the Sacramento Kings really do get rid of DeMarcus Cousins.
[Image via Getty Images]
