Los Angeles Lakers: DeMarcus Cousins is a viable option in free agency

Thanks to a midseason trade, the Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2018 NBA offseason with enough cap space to sign two players to max contracts. DeMarcus Cousins could be one of them, and they could get him for less.

It’s rare to see a star player with max contract potential on the free agent market with the likelihood of little to no max offers in sight.

That seems to be the case for DeMarcus Cousins.

When Cousins was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans last year, he missed out on the chance at a super-max contract. Now, after suffering a gruesome Achilles tear in January, he could once again be on the brink of missing out on a max deal.

When Cousins got hurt on Jan. 26, the Pelicans didn’t skip a beat, going 22-13 to finish the season before sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. With the team’s recent success and the uncertainty of DMC’s injury, it’s not farfetched to think the Pelicans hold back on contract talks.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Pelicans will look to offer Cousins a short-term deal less than the max offer.

"“The Pelicans have broached internally the idea of offering Cousins a two- or three-year deal at less than the max, per sources familiar with the discussions. I would not expect that to go over well with Cousins’ camp. But the Pelicans have the dual leverage of winning without Cousins and a tepid market for him.”"

As Lowe reported, if we know anything about Boogie, it’s that he doesn’t react too kindly when he feels he’s being slighted. If he is offended by the Pelicans’ offer, don’t be surprised if he looks elsewhere. Unfortunately for Cousins, there aren’t many teams with enough cap space to make him an agreeable offer.

Enter the Los Angeles Lakers.

Assuming Paul George and LeBron James are the Lakers’ main two free agent targets and one of them decides not to head to Hollywood, the team will have enough cap space to offer Cousins a contract.

One offer could be for a short-term max deal or maybe DMC is willing to sign a long-term contract worth around $20 million per year. The latter would give the Lakers more flexibility to sign other players and would end up being a bargain if Cousins returns to his All-Star form.

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How the 27-year-old big man returns from the injury remains the biggest question mark.

The Lakers have seen firsthand with Kobe Bryant that returning from an Achilles injury is no easy task. Some players have fared well after returning from the same injury. Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins averaged 24.2 points per game and made two more All-Star teams in his last six seasons after rupturing his Achilles at the age of 32. Wesley Matthews of the Dallas Mavericks is almost three years removed from his injury and has started 213 of 246 games while averaging 34 minutes per game.

Others, like Bryant, struggled to return to their pre-injury form. Former All-Star Elton Brand recently spoke to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Amin Elhassan, saying he was never the same player after his injury.

"“That Achilles really changed the trajectory of my career. That whole kinetic chain: once you get the calf, it’s the ankle, the knee, the hips, the back. No one’s really recovered from that Achilles injury and come back at the same level. I did okay. I had a few serviceable seasons, but I wasn’t the same guy.”"

Though it’s unclear how Cousins will recover, his youth and athleticism will only bode well for the versatile center. His talent may be worth the gamble, especially if the Lakers can sign him at a discounted rate.

Boogie’s sheer ability is justification enough to offer him a contract, but there are a couple more reasons it’s advantageous to spend the money on two free agents this summer as opposed to the 2019 offseason.

First of all , there is no guarantee the top targets in the 2019 free agent class sign with the Lakers. Jimmy Butler could opt to continue to build something with the Minnesota Timberwolves and barring a major unforeseen setback within the Golden State Warriors franchise, Klay Thompson will likely stick with them. Who knows where Kawhi Leonard will be playing next season, let alone 2019.

Secondly, if the Lakers want any chance at re-signing Julius Randle, agreeing with two free agents this offseason gives them the best shot. Since Randle will be a restricted free agent, the Lakers can match any offer he receives from another team. If the free agency timeline aligns in the Lakers’ favor, they could potentially agree to deals with George and Cousins early in the offseason, then match any offer Randle would receive. If the Lakers re-sign Randle first without using the cap space to sign other free agents, his new salary would count against the cap immediately, clogging up the space they worked so hard to clear.

Since timing will be key when free agency opens, the Lakers might decide against pursuing James, who historically has taken his time to decide where he wants to play. A locked-in focus on signing George, Cousins and bringing back Randle might be the Lakers’ best bet for a productive 2018 offseason.

Next: Lakers - 5 bargain targets during 2018 free agency

Besides, a potential starting lineup of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, George, Randle and Cousins would certainly make for an interesting 2018-19 campaign and beyond.

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