With Anthony Davis on his way back to the lineup, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be in the market for big-man depth as they make their playoff push. One potential option is former Laker and four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
The Los Angeles Lakers will work out four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins on Friday, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 12, 2023
Cousins bounced around the NBA after tearing his Achilles in 2018 while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans and later joined the Lakers, only to tear his ACL shortly after signing.
Now, Cousins, who hasn’t played this season, will work out with the Lakers. While the odds are that he may not help the team much this season, they can afford to kick the tires now that they can sign players to 10-day contracts. Despite not being anywhere near the player that he once was, Cousins could still theoretically help the team.
He could provide Los Angeles with a bench scoring option, one who can score in the post and knock down the occasional three. He doesn’t offer much in the way of defense at this point besides some rim protection, but he has always been an effective rebounder.
Signing Cousins could also be an insurance policy for Davis, who has always struggled to stay healthy for extended periods of time. Having another big man in place who has plenty of NBA experience and can score may hold some appeal, just in case Davis goes down again or needs to sit out a game due to load maintenance.
The Lakers are looking at other options.
In addition to Cousins, the Lakers are working out former Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat big man Meyers Leonard. Leonard hasn’t played in the NBA in a couple of seasons but is still just 30 years old.
Leonard last played in Jan. 2021, at which point he had season-ending shoulder and ankle surgeries. Based on issues that stem from the ankle surgery, Leonard has been sidelined for almost two years, and recently was fully cleared to work out for NBA teams. https://t.co/NjQx7ZTKyP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 12, 2023
Prior to his hiatus from the NBA, Leonard was known as an athletic stretch-five, though he struggled on the defensive end. Still, his shooting ability may be enough to warrant the Lakers signing him to a 10-day contract and seeing if he can help address their need for spacing.
Between Cousins and Leonard, Cousins is still likely the most talented option but is also older and have baggage given his known attitude issues. However, that may be behind him if he’s willing to work out with the Lakers just for the opportunity to sign a 10-day contract.
On the other hand, despite some baggage of his own, Leonard could beat out Cousins given that he is younger and has proven to be a better 3-point shooter over his career. Either way, whether the Lakers choose Cousins or Leonard, they likely won’t earn consistent minutes because center Thomas Bryant has stepped up in a big way in the absence of Davis.
Bryant has averaged 17.4 points and 10.8 rebounds in his last 10 games and 13 points and 7.3 rebounds in only 22 minutes per game overall this season. With Davis coming back soon and Bryant playing well, the Lakers should be fine at center, but they could always afford more depth at the position given Davis’ track record.