The Los Angeles Lakers will have plenty of cap space at their disposal this summer and a list of free agent targets that includes stars such as LeBron James, Paul George, and DeMarcus Cousins.
The Lakers will hope that president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka can sway one, or possibly even, two of the aforementioned players to head to Southern California this summer to help put the league’s glamor franchise back in the title hunt.
However, Anthony Davis, who forms a dynamic duo with Cousins (when healthy) for the New Orleans Pelicans, hopes to thwart any attempts to lure Cousins away. He recently told Marc Stein of the New York Times that he’s confident Cousins will re-sign:
“I hope so. That’s a decision he has to make. I’m pretty confident that he’ll stay. From what I hear, he plans on it. But I’m going to keep selling the dream here. I’ll be very involved–I want him here.”
Of course, the challenge for Cousins will be his recovery process after tearing his Achilles earlier this season. It’s difficult to predict whether or not he will get back to the high level he played at, which could make his free agency process very tricky.
Still, if a team like the Lakers are willing to take the risk, he could provide a big reward. Cousins possesses a versatile skill set that includes the outside shooting that Los Angeles craves. And with Brook Lopez headed for free agency himself, the Lakers would appear to have a need at that position.
Davis will do all that he can to convince Cousins that they can continue to find success with the twin towers approach in New Orleans. It’s not yet clear if the Lakers will join the pursuit, but they will almost certainly prioritize James and George ahead of an injured Cousins.
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