DeMarcus Cousins (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls are identified as another two big market franchises making a run at DeMarcus Cousins at Draft Night, according to Sacramento Kings beat writer Ailene Voisin of Sacramento Bee.
Like Kevin Durant who is expected to draw enormous interest in this summer's free-agency season, Cousins will be a wanted man the moment the Kings expressed their intention to shop their talented but mercurial center.
With the Kings heading for an early vacation despite their effort to load up their roster with quite an impressive set of talents, there are rumblings that Cousins and his team are locked for a split this offseason, with several analysts predicting Sacramento to pull off a draft day trade.
Voisin is one of them apparently and she really believed the Kings must not hesitate in disposing Cousins if they are going to get a solid package out of him. Moreover, she added trading an All-Star caliber center like Cousins won't be much of a problem since numerous teams are drooling over him despite his reputation as a hot-tempered player.
Voisin named several teams as potential suitors for Cousins, but the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers simply stand out from the rest.
"A number of league executives fancy themselves as saviors, perceive the Kings as perpetually dysfunctional and are intrigued by the All-Star center's enormous talents. Keep an eye on Houston, Dallas, Boston, the Lakers and the Clippers, to name a few."
Chicago Bulls:
The Bulls took a nose dive this season from a perennial contender during the Tim Thibodeau to a team hanging for its playoff lives under first year head coach Fred Hoiberg. Injuries may have a big part in their decline, but there's an argument that they are missing a dominant center to complement Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose in the backcourt.
With several contract going off the books at the end of this season, the Bulls are projected to have more or less $20 million in cap money to spend for free-agency. Then again, they could use this cap space to absorb the contract of Cousins, who is earning between at least $16 million per season.
When it comes to trade assets, the Bulls have lots of it. They can include youngsters like Luke McDermott, Tony Snell and established veteran in Taj Gibson to a package sweetened by draft picks.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Cousins to Lakers scenario hasn't died yet. There's a reason why Los Angeles most fabled franchise is still in the game for arguably the offensive center in the league today. As Kobe Bryant steps beyond his basketball career, the Lakers are on a lookout for its next franchise player. Cousins, who is averaging 27.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, simply fits the mold of a Lakers' franchise big man.
The question now is do they have the assets to pull it off. Perhaps, the Lakers have enough to land Cousins. Landing in the top-3 in this year's draft will instantly give a high-value asset to be packaged with one of their youngster (D'Angelo Russell or Julius Randle) and solid veteran like Lou Williams.
To be honest, the Lakers' trade offer for Cousins might a little bit inferior in comparison to other suitors. However, the tide could change quickly, especially if Cousins chooses to control his destiny.
