In advance of tonight's NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers have busied themselves with the task of prying All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins away from the dysfunctional Sacramento Kings.
On its surface, the move makes a ton of sense for the Lakers. The team is looking for the next big star to build around as Kobe Bryant nears the end of career. Cousins would follow in the footsteps of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mychal Thompson, Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol, none of whom were drafted by the Lakers yet still helped the team win at least one title.
Cousins is a guaranteed 20-10 guy (minimum) whose defense has vastly improved since entering the league. At 24-years-old and with three years still remaining on his contract, he could be Los Angeles' foundation for years to come. Who knows, maybe the watchful eye of Bryant and the storied history of the Lakers organization would even help tame his more disruptive side as well.
But is there any reason why this deal wouldn't work? ESPN NBA Insider Amin Elhassan took a look at both sides of the argument and here's what he came up with for the negative.
"As mentioned, both Kings ownership and management are enamored with Cousins, and have been adamant about their desire to retain him and continue to try to build a contender around him. Stardom is hard to come by in this league, especially since Sacramento has not traditionally been a free agent destination, so the idea of shipping off the best Kings player since [Vlade] Divac, [Mike] Bibby and Chris Webber made Sacramento a powerhouse in the early 2000s is borderline unpalatable.
"Even if they did decide to move off that stance, once Cousins is openly on the market it's arguable that there are better offers on the market than the Lakers incarnation. Teams like Boston, Phoenix and Denver are awash with assets that could conceivably trump Los Angeles' bid."
So while Lakers fans may be dreaming of a Cousins and LaMarcus Aldridge front court, the reality is much less likely. It doesn't appear as if the Kings are ready to move on from their franchise player and even if they are, L.A. would face stiff competition for his services. Sure, these types of situations tend to work out for the Lakers. But this one might be the exception to the rule.
