Los Angeles Lakers: 3 big-name free agents team could target in 2018
DeMarcus Cousins, C, New Orleans Pelicans
If the Lakers can’t get Davis, maybe another Pelicans big man will suffice?
Prior to being acquired by the Pelicans, DeMarcus Cousins was considered a top target of the Lakers. We knew they needed a star center to round out their young lineup, so their interest in Cousins made sense. Unfortunately, nothing ever came to fruition.
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That doesn’t mean something couldn’t work out if Cousins were to hit the open market in 2018. That is, if the Pelicans don’t find a way to re-sign him. That, however, seems unlikely considering what they gave up to get him back in February. Then again, it’s not crazy to imagine him wearing out his welcome like he did in Sacramento.
Let’s say the Cousins-Davis combo doesn’t help this Pelicans franchise turn things around. Their supporting cast is far from impressive, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Then, when Cousins’ contract is up, New Orleans simply decides to pull the plug on the experiment. It’s not ideal, but it’s not like much has gone right for that team since the re-branding.
So Cousins is a free agent, ready and willing to sign with whoever’s forking up the big bucks. That could very well be the Lakers, even if George is signed. Getting rid of the contracts of Luol Deng and/or Timofey Mozgov over the next year would give them the financial flexibility to get the job done.
Next: Boldly predicting Lakers' 2018-19 starting lineup
Imagine what that lineup would look like. The mix of Lonzo Ball and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt, George and Brandon Ingram tag-teaming it at small forward, and Julius Randle and Cousins locking down the frontcourt. At that point, the Lakers would officially have returned to relevance.