7. DeMarcus Cousins – Unrestricted free agent
Prior to tearing his Achilles a year ago, Boogie was arguably the best all-around center in the NBA. But at this point in time, it’s tough to say that he even belongs on this list.
Cousins returned to action only last month. The Warriors have been bringing him along slowly, which has resulted so far in the lowest stats of his career. In his first 11 games, his numbers are 13.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG in just under half the game, not bad at all. But he’s shooting just 42.4% from the field and only 29% from deep.
Reports are that Boogie is starting to move a bit better laterally. He has the rest of the regular season plus a likely long playoff run to show improvement. But of course, he will never be the featured star on Golden State like he was in Sacramento or New Orleans. Will he be content with that?
The Lakers along with every other NBA team will have to make a judgment about how likely he is to return to his old form. There will surely be some interest, but who knows which team will come closest to meeting the contract he will seek, both in dollar amount and length of contract.
If the Warriors bring back both Durant and Thompson, they likely won’t be able to meet Cousins’ demands. But will any other team step up?
Other than rookie Moe Wagner, the Lakers have no center under contract for next season. Who knows what level of interest they have in Boogie? Would he even qualify as a second star?
Prediction: Cousins is a big question mark, primarily because of his health. He might opt to stay in Golden State, where he can continue to recover at his own pace, at least for another year. If he decides to chase a big money contract, the Lakers have to take a very close look.