Laker Trade Rumors: No Longer Targeting DeMarcus Cousins

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Laker Trade Rumors:  No Longer Targeting DeMarcus Cousins Empty Laker Trade Rumors: No Longer Targeting DeMarcus Cousins

Post by bobheckler Sun Jun 28, 2015 1:06 pm

http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2015/6/27/8857781/la-lakers-trade-demarcus-cousins-dangelo-russell



Lakers Trade Rumors: Lakers keeping D'Angelo Russell, no longer targeting DeMarcus Cousins
By Harrison Faigen  @hmfaigen on Jun 27, 2015, 5:33p 17




Laker Trade Rumors:  No Longer Targeting DeMarcus Cousins Usa-today-8668000.0
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
It sounds like the Lakers are happy with their new rookie, and the trade leaks were mostly from Cousins' camp.



The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer looking to trade for Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, according to general manager Mitch Kupchak. "The No. 2 pick has never been seriously in play... Earlier on, we knew there would be at least three players that, if you had the No. 2 pick, we would be very comfortable or even ecstatic about selecting," Kupchak told media after the Lakers' selection of D'Angelo Russell with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft was official.

The Lakers discussed trade scenarios that would have put Cousins in purple and gold throughout the week, but ultimately decided against trading for the established talent of the 2015 All-Star who averaged 24.1 points and 12.7 rebounds per game with a 25.2 Player Efficiency Rating, and instead opted for building around a more youthful core, according to a report from Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News:

"The Lakers had discussions this week with the Kings about acquiring their 24-year-old All-Star center amid a Yahoo! Sports report indicating Sacramento coach George Karl campaigned for the franchise to trade him. That did not happen. The Kings wanted assets that included the Lakers' No. 2 pick, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, perhaps even more. The Lakers declined to trade away such youthful parts, mindful they could help the team's long-term rebuilding project."

From Medina's report, it sounds like the Lakers have committed to their youth movement and promising young core rather than looking to swing big and mortgage the franchise's future for any quick fixes.

The Lakers have already proven they are Woj-bomb proof, so it should not surprise anyone that most of the leaked rumors about a Cousins trade came from elsewhere, in this case from power agent Dan Fegan, who according to Sam Amick of the USA Today was given permission to pursue trade scenarios involving Cousins:

"...Fegan tried to orchestrate a trade that would send Cousins to the Los Angeles Lakers in the days leading up to the draft - one that Kings owner Vivek Ranadive gave him permission to pursue when he made it clear that Cousins wanted out..."

Clearly Fegan was unsuccessful in brokering a deal that would have put his client in Los Angeles, and with the Lakers raving about the "unlimited upside" of the magical passing Russell, it sounds like trade talks are dead in the water.




bob
MY NOTE:  First of all, I have to ask, whoTF dressed D'Angelo Russell for the biggest day of his young life that morning?!  Must have been Russell Westbrook.

Secondly, this re-opens the door for Danny.  I thought that door was closed because the Lakers can offer better players, and from what I've heard Sacto wants players more than picks, but if LAL are out of the running the door opens again and it will be Denver (who has shopped Faried in the past and has Ty Lawson, who played for Karl before) and Boston.  Sully (who would be nice alongside WCS) + Smart + the $7.7M TPE from the Tayshaun Prince trade for Boogie.  Two young players, one of them a shorter Cousins, for a player the coach doesn't want and the player knows it.  Still, Faried and Lawson is an awfully attractive package.  The NBA trade machine says it would take more than that for that deal to work but that's the heart of a pretty good deal for Sacto...



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Post by tjmakz Sun Jun 28, 2015 1:24 pm

I'm glad the Lakers are out of the running for Cousins. 
There are free agent power forwards and centers that can be signed without giving up any players. 

I don't think this means much for Boston. Boston doesn't currently have any all-star players or lottery picks that they can build a package around. Maybe NY can trade Porzingis for Cousins? I doubt NY will acquire Cousins but Porzingis value is sky high right now. He would be a perfect stretch 4 to play alongside WCS.
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Post by Sam Sun Jun 28, 2015 2:16 pm

I'd love to get Cousins, but this little character in my brain keeps shouting, "DEE-fense, DEE-fense, so I'm more in the R. Lopez, Asik mode.  Getting either of them early in the going without giving up anything but money (and it's not my money) could be a great prelude to a summer based on purposefully improving every position rather than randomly taking the best of the leftovers.  I just hope Danny doesn't spend so much time trying abortively to court the big names that he loses out on guys like Lopez and Asik.

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Last edited by sam on Sun Jun 28, 2015 3:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Post by bobheckler Sun Jun 28, 2015 2:35 pm

sam wrote:I'd love to get Cousins, but this little character in my brain keeps shouting, "DEE-fense, DEE-fense, so I'm more in the R. Lopez, Asik mode.  Getting either of them early in the going without giving up anything but money (and it's not my money) could be a great prelude to a summer based on purposefully improving every position rather than randomly taking the best of the leftovers.  I just hope Danny doesn't spend so much time trying abortively to court the big names that he loses out on buys like Lopez and Asik.

Sam


Sam,

Lopez?  Si.  Asik?  No.  He's a career 55% ft shooter.  No thanks.  A player who cannot hit his free throws cannot be on the floor in clutch time in close games.  As we saw with Jordan in the Clip-Houston series and Howard in the GSW-Houston series, empty possessions because of "Hack-a-fill in the blank" strategies will kill you.  Cousins will be more expensive (I'm talking about the assets we'd have to give up to get him, not impact on salary cap) but I'd MUCH rather have Boogie than Asik.  (H)Omer shoots free throws like Homer (Simpson.  Doh!).  No thanks again. I'll be going through computer screens like crap through a goose as I try to punch Asik through the screen every time we lose a game because he misses free throws or has to sit because his offensive liabilities outweigh his defensive value.


bob


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Post by Sam Sun Jun 28, 2015 3:20 pm

Bob,  I included Asik solely as an example of centers beneath the radar.  Koufos could have been another one.

Too much emphasis on free throws.  Lifetime averages are the bunk.  Asik has averaged 60% over the past two seasons.  I know of a center who averaged 56% for his career, during which he (1) was ALWAYS on the floor at crunch time, (2) was often hacked, and (3) won 11 championships.  Free throws are only one part of the story.  It's very possible that a player can contribute sufficient value in other areas to outweigh free throw weakness.  Of am I wrong about D'Andre Jordan being considered a premier trade target?

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Post by wide clyde Sun Jun 28, 2015 4:40 pm

Sam,

I do not like Asik either, but I hope that Cs do not plan on trading for Jordan. The Boston crowd would mentally kill this guy if he came to Boston on a max or even near max salary to be the team's star and he could not shoot free throws.

Back to Asik. He is also older than I think we should look for at the center spot. Koufos is a much better choice in my book as he is younger, likely to develop more and even more quickly and will also cost less.

I do agree with you that I would much rather have Cousins lining up at center next season. The Kings will have to make a move with either Cousins or Karl, and whichever they decide to keep will influence the moves of the Celtics.

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Post by steve3344 Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:45 pm

Lakers rebuffed for Cousins:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/28/report-lakers-would-still-trade-dangelo-russell-for-demarcus-cousins-straight-up-kings-wouldnt/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

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Post by bobheckler Fri Jul 10, 2015 5:57 pm

This is not an update to the title, the Lakers are STILL not targeting DeMarcus Cousins, but Danny is.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/10/vlade-divac-on-demarcus-cousins-george-karl-relationship-its-not-pretty-right-now/



Vlade Divac on DeMarcus Cousins-George Karl relationship: ‘It’s not pretty right now’
Dan Feldman Jul 10, 2015, 9:13 AM EDT


Laker Trade Rumors:  No Longer Targeting DeMarcus Cousins Cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznpteymji5zmrjotzkzwrkztllmzu2owmxntqxzwi1ndex
Getty Images



You no longer have to rely on anonymous sources or interpret emojis.

DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl don’t get along.

Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac on The Jim Rome Show:

“I will be honest with you, I think it’s not pretty right now,” Divac said of the two. “I’m focused on bringing a better team this year, and I think I did a pretty good job in this free agency, and now I will be focused on the two of them. I think they should think about how they can do the best for this team, and I hope everything goes well.”

“A lot of rumors around the country talking about ‘he’s not going to play for coach’, ‘coach wants to trade him'; it’s not going to happen,” said Divac. “If somebody is going to make a decision, I’m going to make the decision. So I want to keep them both here for now. DeMarcus is definitely our guy that we want to build a team around.”

This is obviously no shocker, but it is a little surprising to see Divac address it so directly publicly.

Count this as yet another example of Divac denying he’ll trade Cousins, which makes sense. Cousins is an elite player, the best thing the Kings have going. He should take priority.

But what about Karl? He’s a good coach, but if he can’t get along with Cousins well enough, he can’t effectively coach Sacramento.

The first priority is and should be trying to get Cousins and Karl on the same page. I don’t think their relationship is necessarily doomed, and neither does Divac.

If that doesn’t work, though, it’s clear who will be the one to go.




bob
MY NOTE:  I wish I was techically knowledgeable enough to know how to photoshop Danny's head onto the body of a vulture sitting on a tree waiting for the fight-to-the-death between two elephants is over.  I just hope all the other players adore Karl and it's just Cousins who hates him. Danny never sleeps.




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Post by Sam Sat Jul 11, 2015 12:31 am

So which is better?  (1) To be a mediocre team with a guy like Cousins but also have the open conflict between coach and player or (2) to be a middle-of-the-road team like the Celtics filled with players who are on the same page with one another and with one of the most up-and-coming coaches in the league?

I guess neither is ideal.  But I bet Brad would find a way not only to coexist with Cousins but also to present Demarcus with ways to succeed that he had never dreamed of.

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