Los Angeles Lakers: Don’t sleep on DeMarcus Cousins

 While all the talk surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers has been focused on LeBron James, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, one superstar free agent has flown under the radar. The Lakers need to address their frontcourt and DeMarcus Cousins could be the answer.

Every day closer to the start of 2018 NBA free agency brings a slew of new rumors. Since the Los Angeles Lakers are one of a handful of teams with a ton of cap space, it makes sense they have been linked to several prominent free agents.

DeMarcus Cousins, however, has been one of the least discussed superstar players who could be playing for a new team next season.

The New Orleans Pelicans big man was off to a tremendous start to the 2017-18 campaign, averaging 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Unfortunately, Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in late January, effectively ending his season.

The Pelicans went on to sweep the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs before losing to the Golden State Warriors in five games.

Boogie’s injury and the Pelicans’ success without him could spell the end for the 27-year-old in New Orleans, particularly if they refuse to offer him a max deal.

The Lakers have the cap space to offer Cousins a max contract — a risky proposition considering the unknown surrounding Boogie’s return from a devastating injury. The market could be tepid for Cousins, however, which would allow the Lakers to offer him less than max money, or a short-term deal.

According to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, the Pelicans remain the favorite to sign Cousins, while the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers round out the top three.

Bleacher Report recently predicted that DMC would sign with the Lakers, assuming they don’t pull off the near-impossible dream scenario of signing James, George and trading for Leonard.

Since George publicly requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers almost two years ago, the thought was he was heading to Hollywood. Now with recent reports that George is strongly considering staying in Oklahoma City, it might make sense for the Lakers to shift their focus solely on James and Cousins.

In today’s NBA, the game is dictated by guards and wing players, while big men have fallen by the wayside. Cousins is the unique center who excels in today’s game because he has a consistent mid-range shot. He’s also improved his 3-point shot exponentially since entering the league.

The Lakers have several guards and wings, but a glaring hole in the middle. With Julius Randle‘s future with the team uncertain and Brook Lopez becoming a free agent, Cousins could be the answer.

If the Lakers can sign Cousins to a one-year deal, similar to what they did with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last season, they could choose to forgo re-signing him in 2019 to clear the cap space to sign Leonard. Depending on how he returns from his injury, the Lakers could also decide to keep Boogie for the future.

Next: 3 reasons LeBron James will sign with the Lakers

The 2018-19 lineup might not be the one Los Angeles Lakers fans imagined coming to fruition, but signing James and Cousins this offseason would still be a tremendous success.