On paper, the move can’t be made because of salary cap restraints, but would the L.A. Lakers really fall out of love with D’Angelo Russell, for the shot at acquiring DeMarcus Cousins?
According to various reports that the Lakers would trade No.2 pick D’Angelo Russell “tomorrow,” if that would complete a deal for Kings center DeMarcus Cousins.
This is the West, where it takes 48-50 wins, while climbing over one of the playoff teams plus Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant back, up-and-coming Utah and young-and-promising Minnesota.
This process will take years, not a year.
You shortcut it at your peril, even if the Lakers were willing to trade their No. 2 pick for Sacramento’s even-higher-maintenance-than-Dwight-Howard DeMarcus Cousins … and would send Russell up there tomorrow if that would do it, a league source told me.
Not that it’s likely to happen, either.
With owner Vivek Ranadive intent on not trading Cousins, much less to the hated Lakers, the Kings asked for the moon — the No. 2 pick, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, more picks.
You’d have to add another decent salaried deal to the mix, just to get the league office to approve such a deal — but it does speak to how bad the Lakers would prefer a quick rebuild by adding a proven stat-monster like Cousins to the middle.