Lakers Podcast: L.A. To Pursue DeMarcus Cousins At Trade Deadline? Plus, What May Really Be Happening To Julius Randle’s Minutes

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have big plans for their future as they attempt to return to the top of the NBA mountain, and that means chasing after superstar-level players in NBA free agency.

On this episode of the LN Podcast with Trevor Lane, we are joined by salary cap expert Eric Pincus who believes that the team may look into trading for DeMarcus Cousins or Paul George this season rather than wait until next summer to pursue them as free agents.

With rumors involving LeBron James constantly swirling, if the Lakers catch wind that James is unlikely to take his talents to Southern California they could quickly shift gears and focus on Cousins and George.

And it could make a lot of sense for their incumbent teams to give serious consideration about sending either play to Los Angeles before they can hit free agency. Of course, trades can be difficult to predict, but it appears that there could be something to this.

Additionally, we discuss what is going on with Julius Randle, who has seen his role drastically change this season and his minutes cut despite playing well. Pincus has an interesting theory about what may be going on behind the scenes and how agents could be a big factor in why Randle is seemingly getting pushed out of the picture this season.

Plus, with the Lakers looking to be a major player on the free agent market next summer, they are going to need plenty of cap space and the contract of Luol Deng is a major hurdle to clear. Pincus has an outside-the-box plan that could potentially solve the problem, though it might not be what you expect.

All that and tons more on this episode of the LN Podcast, just click the player above

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Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com