DeMarcus Cousins (Photo : Getty Images)
Jimmy Butler guarding Kobe Bryant (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The LA Lakers have placed themselves in position to land a veteran talent after acquiring the no.2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Now, more names are being linked as possible trade targets as teams start to evaluate their roster and see if they could get a fresh start. One of those teams is the Chicago Bulls. According to CSN Chicago writer Mark Schanowski, the Lakers are in a hurry to compete and Jimmy Butler is a worthy prize.
"Mitch Kupchak has seen the pitfalls of trying to build a team around mercurial young talent," Schanowski wrote. "Would the Lakers deal the No.2 overall pick and controversial young guard D'Angelo Russell (last year's No. 2 overall pick) for Butler?"
While the no.2 pick, presumed to be either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram would be a great addition, it does not make the Lakers a contender. The team has struck out on the big names for two straight summers and it would be difficult to place all their bets on uncertainty. Butler is not only a top NBA player but his presence actually boosts LA's chances to lure a top free agent, as Schanowski suggested.
Another path that the Lakers can tread is trading for a center, a position that very dear to the franchise. In a video from Bleacher Report, Ric Bucher has the Lakers trading the no.2 pick for DeMarcus Cousins, arguably the best in the league now.
This seems to be nothing new because the Lakers have long coveted Cousins but Bucher believes that the Lakers can get him just with the no.2 pick and some additions. Bucher mentioned that he is "unsure how much the Kings are wed to Cousins" and trading for a pick would be "addition by subtraction."
It should be noted that rumors about DeMarcus Cousins being traded gained some buzz a month ago as a Sacremento Bee report mentioned that the team is getting tired of Cousins' issues. The Kings have a new coach after George Karl was fired, partly because he did not get along with the star center.
In the video, Stephen Nelson points out that the Lakers are probably fine with adding some of their young pieces to get Cousins but Bucher reiterated that any additions would be "nothing extravagant."
