Lakers trade rumors: Eight targets to watch for at the trade deadline
By Jason Reed
C DeMarcus Cousins
You want to talk about superstars? Look no further than New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is arguably the best center in the entire league and instantly will boost any franchise he is in. Although the Pelicans have not found success with the Cousins-Davis super frontcourt, Cousins still remains one of the league’s best.
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The Pelicans are struggling for more reasons that Cousins and Anthony Davis. First and foremost, the team has no real guard to space the floor; Cousins and Davis are the team’s best three-point shooters. When your big men are your best three-point shooters, especially in today’s NBA, you are in trouble.
Thus, the Pelicans may realize it is time to abandon this DeMarcus Cousins experiment and ship him off exactly a year after getting him during the 2018 NBA All-Star Break. Cousins is on an expiring deal, so his trade returns may not be properly priced.
Sure, there will be some desperate contending teams willing to fork something over for Cousins. However, instead, the Pelicans should be much more inclined to send him to a team like the Lakers where they can get rebuilding pieces in return. Whether that is Clarkson, Randle, Nance, or all three, the Lakers have the pieces.
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Then, the Lakers would own bird rights’ over Cousins and would be able to bring in another superstar with their cap space. It may be a stretch, but this is the best deal for the Lakers to make during this trade deadline.