The LA Lakers were confirmed to be in the DeMarcus Cousins discussions and they continue to be involved in NBA trade rumors.
There was some hint of upheaval in the Lakers front office when Jeannie Buss and Magic Johnson were reported to be involved in the decision-making process. At the very least, they could exert pressure on the current regime.
The Lakers initially wanted to play out the season concentrating on player development but if they have a real chance to acquire a star, they should be able to pull the trigger-at the right price.
Now there are reports that the Lakers have quickly moved on to a new target, but the parameters are firmly set. Sports anchor Mike Adamie is so far the only one who made this claim on Twitter.
The Lakers changed their mind and decided that may need to make a trade as the losses continued to pile up. While the team has motivation to tank (to keep their 2017 draft pick-they will lose it fully in 2018), they emphasized the priority of establishing a winning culture for their young core.
Speaking of the young core, they chose to keep D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram off limits. The belief around the league is that these two players have the most upside.
Lakers Nation gave their stamp of approval for the possible trade. "If Butler is available and can be had for the trade package mentioned, it would be hard to argue the deal shouldn't be made immediately. Butler would be a massive upgrade for the Lakers and would bring in the star player the team has sorely been lacking since Kobe Bryant's departure last April."
Clarkson, Williams and Randle all have players who can cover the departures of these players. Butler takes the place of Clarkson and Williams at shooting guard and if Michael Carter-Williams is really part of the package going back, he can take on the back-up point guard duties. Larry Nance Jr. is a power forward who can also start if needed.