Before the NBA Draft and free agency, rumors began to surface about the Los Angeles Lakers being determined to acquire DeMarcus Cousins in a trade with the Sacramento Kings. Although the Kings denied any interest in wanting to send Cousins to the Lakers or anywhere else for that matter, the rumors continued to swirl.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
With the Lakers now missing out on signing any of the prominent free agents they were targeting, talks of a trade being made has surfaced yet again. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Cousins isn’t the likely target for Los Angeles moving forward:
If Lakers miss on their top three FA targets, they're more likely to pursue David Lee in a trade than revisit Boogie talks
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2015
With the emergence of Draymond Green for the Golden State Warriors, David Lee took a backseat despite his large contract. Green flourished in his new role while most of the time Lee was stuck watching from the bench, but the veteran forward did get some time on the floor during the NBA Finals and made himself somewhat relevant once again.
After locking up Green with a deal this summer, the Warriors are rumored to be looking to move Lee in a trade during the off-season. The Lakers have been mentioned as a trade candidate for Lee recently and after striking out in free agency the veteran may be headed to Los Angeles.
As for Cousins, trade talks involving the All-Star center have cooled considerably. The Kings seem intent on keeping their face of the franchise in Sacramento while trying to recruit Rajon Rondo. Although a Cousins trade can’t be ruled out, it seems as though it is unlikely at this point in time.
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