Los Angeles Lakers: 4 free agents to pursue if Marc Gasol doesn’t return

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Marc Gasol #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on February 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Marc Gasol #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on February 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

DeMarcus Cousins

Those that read my work here at Lake Show Life (thank you!) probably remember me writing an article explaining why the Los Angeles Lakers should not even bother with DeMarcus Cousins.

Things were obviously much different when that article was published as it was expected that Gasol would return to the team. These are different circumstances and require different lines of thinking.

Just because the Lakers are more likely to sign Cousins does not mean that I am suddenly going to flip my stance on him as a player. Cousins still appears to be well over the hill in this league with his injuries ending what was a really dominant run for him.

He has not been known for being a great teammate, either, which makes it harder to justify bringing him in if he is not that effective anymore.

However, these are a lot of the same things that people said about Dwight Howard before he re-signed with the Lakers the first time. Ironically enough, Howard was an emergency option that turned his career around because Cousins got hurt before what would have been his first season as a Laker.

Prime Cousins is never coming back and he may never be 80% of the prime version of himself. However, if the Lakers push all the right buttons then maybe, just maybe, Cousins could follow in Howard’s footsteps.