The Los Angeles Lakers could have a steal in DeMarcus Cousins, who looks to have already put in a lot of work this offseason to get his body back in shape.
The Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2019 NBA offseason with high hopes. They wanted to add at least one superstar to pair with LeBron James to help bring the team back to prominence. They wasted little time in accomplishing that, landing Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Rob Pelinka and company paid a premium for Davis, sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and multiple future first-round picks to New Orleans. In a separate deal, the Lakers traded Isaac Bonga, Moritz Wagner and Jemerrio Jones to the Washington Wizards to ensure they had enough cap space to sign a max free agent.
Los Angeles set their sights on Kawhi Leonard but were ultimately spurned by him, as he decided to join the Los Angeles Clippers. In a stunning turn of events, he was able to convince Paul George to join him, as George asked for a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to get it done.
The Lakers, luckily, had a Plan B ready to go. They quickly signed Danny Green and re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo. Previously to that, they signed Troy Daniels and Jared Dudley. Avery Bradley was also signed after he was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
However, the move that was most intriguing was the signing of DeMarcus Cousins.
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Only two years ago, Cousins was regarded as the premier center in the NBA. The Pelicans had high hopes that Cousins and Davis would help push the team to the next level alongside Jrue Holiday. Unfortunately, Cousins tore his Achilles near the end of January. That ended his season prematurely and ruined any chance he had at landing a lucrative contract in free agency.
As a result, Cousins signed with the Golden State Warriors, looking to rehab his injury and win a ring in the process. Cousins never looked quite right with the Warriors, as his athleticism and lateral movements looked sluggish. Then another setback occurred, as Cousins tore his quad during the NBA Playoffs.
Cousins would return during the NBA Finals but was a shell of himself. It was great to see him out there trying to help his team win, but he was a liability. Already not the most athletically gifted, Cousins was taken advantage of by the Toronto Raptors, who forced him onto the perimeter and in space with a plethora of pick-and-rolls.
Cousins was once again met with a cold market in free agency. With two serious injuries now on his resume, teams weren’t willing to take a risk on him. As a result, the Lakers signed Cousins to a one-year deal for the league minimum. Based on what we have seen thus far, this could prove to be an absolute steal for the purple and gold.
DeMarcus Cousins on his health right now: "I'm working my tail off every single day. My quad is 100% healed. I'm building it up every day...I'm getting stronger. Getting in better shape. My plan is to come into camp in tiptop shape. My goal is to play 82 gms this season." #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) July 11, 2019
That is a lofty goal for Cousins to have and it would be awesome to see him achieve it. Knowing he is 100 percent healed means he can get in a full offseason for the first time in two years. That is important for Cousins, as he has to work on getting his timing and rhythm back after suffering two major injuries.
Cousins did an interview with Spectrum SportsNet and it is clear that he is putting in work at the gym to get into shape.
https://twitter.com/SpectrumSN/status/1149173464764301312
Cousins looks like a totally different person than he did just under a month ago with the Warriors during the NBA Finals. He looks a lot slimmer, which should help take some of the pressure off his lower limbs, where he suffered both injuries.
If Cousins is able to get close to the level he was with the Pelicans, the Lakers will have a steal on their hands. Cousins was arguably the best center in the NBA entering the 2017-18 season. Even if he is only able to produce like a top-10 center, Los Angeles will be a lot to handle.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis already on the roster as bonafide stars, having a player of Cousins’ caliber, at that price, is a luxury.
The rest of the NBA could regret not bringing Cousins aboard based on the work it looks like he has already put in to return to form for the 2019-20 season.