Rumors of a DeMarcus Cousins trade have greatly intensified over the last couple of days and the Los Angeles Lakers have remained at the forefront of every rumor that has come out.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
Now that the NBA Draft has is nearing closer, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings have exchanged framework on a trade involving Cousins:
The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings exchanged frameworks of a trade centered on All-Star DeMarcus Cousins on Wednesday and discussions could intensify on Thursday, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Who would be included in the trade is still in question, but Wojnarowski reports that the Kings are attempting to get the Lakers’ number two pick, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson, but the Lakers are reluctant to part with either of their two promising young players:
Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac has pursued a possible deal that would include a bevvy of assets, including the Lakers’ No. 2 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson and other draft assets, league sources told Yahoo Sports […] Minimally, the Lakers have no intention of including Randle in a deal for Cousins, league sources told Yahoo Sports […] The Lakers are reluctant to part with Clarkson too, sources said.
If the Lakers are able to swing a Cousins trade while keeping both Randle and Clarkson, it would be an outstanding move for the franchise and immediately bring the team back to relevance in the Western Conference. Cousins is only 24 years old and was named to the All-NBA Second Team after averaging 24.1 points and 12.7 rebounds.
The Lakers seem to be pulling out all of the stops in order to make Cousins a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. With the draft set for Thursday, all eyes will be on Los Angeles to see if the Lakers make this blockbuster move a reality.
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