Trade buzz surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers have just gotten louder following the acquisition of second overall pick Brandon Ingram in the 2016 NBA draft.
The Lakers have been linked in another intriguing trade speculations involving D'Angelo Russell and the Sacramento Kings. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Kings have been "heavily engaged" with the Lakers in trade talks with Sacramento looking to land a talented point guard in Russell.
There is a growing sense that if the Kings want Russell, it would force Sactown to give up their best tradable assets, which is none other than All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins has long been linked to the Lakers and other interested teams, but the Kings were able to keep hold off the often disgruntled center. It is undetermined whether the Kings intend to remain committed with Cousins, but Sactown faces the possibility of losing Rajon Rondo and Seth Curry to free agency, which gives them the need to acquire a talented point guard to run Dave Joerger's schemes.
On the other hand, Russell's name has been consistently thrown at the rumor mill in the past few weeks, mostly on potential trades to the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. While Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has somewhat assured Russell he will not be traded, many still find it interesting especially if it is for Cousins, who seems to have renewed his displeasure with the Kings after trading the No. 8 pick to the No. 13 and 28 overall picks and the rights to guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Acquiring a center like Cousins would make sense for the Lakers, who may strongly target a talented big man in the offseason, with Roy Hibbert exploring the market. It has been reported that LA is looking for a "young veteran," and the 25-year-old Cousins seem to fit the bill.
Cousins, who played his best season with the Kings, averaging 26.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, would be a nice fit under new coach Luke Walton, who could certainly use a skilled big man to anchor the defense and score down the paint.
However, if there is mutual interest from both teams to push a blockbuster trade, Russell would likely be not enough for the Lakers to acquire Cousins. Enter the 2016 second overall pick.
Ingram is considered as one of the most talented players in this year's draft class and has the potential to become an elite two-way player in the league. The 18-year-old Ingram would be a solid piece to fill in the wing position for the Lakers, but if LA really wants to win now, they may consider Ingram as trade piece for a proven star.
Moreover, Ingram, despite his intriguing skillset, is not likely to attract top free agents this summer. Adding Cousins would make the Lakers a very attractive destination for the likes of Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan, and a chance to form a very formidable super team to challenge the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the West.
It would be interesting to see if the Lakers develop a genuine interest to acquire Cousins from the Kings. While there is no confirmation whether the Lakers are willing to give up their talented youngsters, it could be the only way for LA to immediately get back into title contention.