Today’s news that DeMarcus Cousins has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL is a devastating turn of events for the veteran big man, who had aspirations of returning to full strength in 2019/20.
A strong comeback season at age 29 might have set up Cousins for the sort of big payday that has eluded him over the past couple summers due to Achilles and quad injuries. Instead, he’ll spend most – or all – of the season recovering from yet another major leg injury.
Cousins’ torn ACL is an unfortunate development for his new team too. The Lakers were counting on the four-time All-Star to potentially be their starting center, viewing him as a low-risk, high-reward gamble on a one-year, $3.5MM contract. If he could have come anywhere close to recapturing his old All-Star form, Cousins would have provided offensive firepower alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and helped the Lakers compete for a championship.
With Cousins no longer expected to be a factor, the Lakers suddenly look pretty thin at center. Last year’s primary starter JaVale McGee will return, but he only played 22.3 minutes per contest in 2018/19, and I wouldn’t expect that number to increase substantially, if at all.
The Lakers will almost certainly have to ask Davis – who prefers to play the power forward position – to spend more time at the five. With James and Kyle Kuzma expected to be among the Lakers’ most-used players, it makes more sense for the team to play AD at center anyway — leaning on lineups that featured Davis, LeBron, and Kuzma plus a center would have been tenuous with or without a healthy Cousins.
Of course, even if Davis is willing to play more center, the club might have to add reinforcements at the position. The Lakers have at least one regular season roster spot available, and could have two if Cousins is ruled out for the season and they’re willing to release him (he’d still receive his full salary). And there are at least a handful of noteworthy big men on the free agent market, as we outlined earlier this week.
In an Insider article, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton names Salah Mejri and Joakim Noah as his preferred free agent targets for the Lakers, noting that Kenneth Faried and Nene are out there too. Amir Johnson, Marcin Gortat, and Marreese Speights, who worked out in front of Frank Vogel last month, also remain unsigned. None of those guys would move the needle in a huge way, but there are a few that could provide 10-15 solid minutes per game if needed.
As the Lakers determine a recovery timeline for Cousins and mull their frontcourt options, we want your two cents. Do you think the Lakers should target a certain free agent big man? Will they be fine with Davis and McGee handling the center minutes?
Regardless of how the Lakers address their newly-created frontcourt hole, do you think Cousins’ injury significantly affects the club’s ceiling for 2019/20? How will his absence impact the Lakers’ title chances?
Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
If the Lakers are smart then they weren’t seriously counting on anything from him anyway. It’s awful news for Cousins as an individual though.
The Lakers being smart is definitely something up for debate.
No argument there, lol.
Hard to say, we never had a chance to see what he could do for them.
sign mo speights
Noah or Gortat would be the best option. Faried/Johnson if you can’t get them… Maybe as-well-as, if possible.
A Laker offense that features Gortat and Bradley would be hilarious, say Clipper fans.
Fake news – everybody knows Clipper fans are just a myth.
I’d take the Manimal. High energy guy just can’t shoot the 3 I guess for today’s league.
The injury sucks and you hate to see it but it doesn’t change anything. They weren’t gonna make the playoffs with him and they aren’t gonna make it without him.
It takes a truly insane level of Lakers derangement syndrome to think they are not even a playoff team but yet here you are. Even the biggest of irrational haters at least concedes they are going to make the postseason. You’re just flat out trolling and its comical how you try and pass off as not. Imagine thinking a team with Anthony Davis and Lebron James will not make the playoffs. The fact those words can even form in someones head is dumb
It’s not a stretch to suggest the Lakers may miss the post season. They missed the post season last year, and the teams they are competing with all stayed the same or got better. Yes the Lakers added AD, but AD hasn’t won anything significant in his career. You can debate that the team NO surrounded by him with was sub par, but he still had pieces and if you are a truly great player, you have to elevate your tram some what and win something, anything. Not to mention that he is a huge injury risk. Lakers also depleted of depth, and LeBron is a year older. Any injury to one of those 2 and it’s adios, LA. I think there’s at least a 50% chance the Lakers miss the playoffs this year, so for you to blindly call someone dumb for stating that, as highly ironic.
So you’re saying there’s a 50% chance they make the playoffs. Genius.
So if their best players get hurt they will be done? That argument is so lazy because it applies to every team. AD has had playoff success. Just last year NOP swept Portland and that was without Boogie. AD went off in that series and the one they lost to GS so he did his part. the haters will be eating fine crow when “washed up” Lebron and “injury prone” AD remind them this isnt fantasy land and they are actually good at basketball
Its less of a bad argument with a guy who is his age and was already slowed last season by injury. Especially when you play as physically as he does. LBJ will still be good for several more years when healthy, but he will get more fragile and need more min reductions to keep him fresh and healthy then he used to. Its crazy since he broke in young that he has been good for as long as he has, but everybody gets old sometime.
Since the Thunder just dumped Patrick Patterson ..
To whom?
To the Clippers!!
Maybe Nerlens Noel could be added to that “available” list?
Smile when you’re being punked, #LakeShow.
Pretty sure his name is Mo Buckets
Waiting for Perkins to blame GSW on the injury…
The Lakers being smart is definitely something up for debate.
It’s likely they were planning on using Kuzma, Davis, and LeBron plus a center. It’s already been confirmed LeBron was going to be running point, so not a stretch like this article makes it sound.
They definitely were planning on that (and may still be). My comment on those lineups wasn’t skepticism that they’d use them — it was skepticism that they’d be effective.
Can the lakers get an injury exemption?
They could apply for one if they expect Cousins to be out for the season, but it’d only be worth $1.75MM (half of his salary), so it wouldn’t do much for them.
Noah can move the ball, as well as move himself & rebound. Spaights can hit 3s and Mejri can block shots but all of those guys pick up a lot of fouls. Gortat had a down year with LAC but maybe that was LAC. If Davis has an opinion, they will probably go with that. They should have been more interested in keeping Moritz Wagner.
Well they better get as many centers as possible because AD doesn’t like the 5 spot and Rich Paul will have is butt ”Leaving on a jet plane” to New York if AD has to play too much center and they don’t get a ring. Rich Paul recently mentioned as a business ploy AD could be gone if things don’t work out…..Better consider that!
I don’t think he would go back to the Lakers but Dwight Howard would be interesting. I’m not sure on his status but they should inquire on Lucas ‘Bebe” Nogueira
I think is a big hit, with him as healthy or a bit better than he was when he came back for GSW would make the Lakers a lock for the NBA finals, without him they are in the run for the finals but not a lock, he was gonna be the third wheel in the only big 3 team in the west… such a shame, specially for DMC, also for the Lakers. Unfortunately a talent like his can’t be replaced, but of the sorry list of possible replacements I would only take Noah, or just no one for now. Also someone mentioned DH12 & that wouldn’t be a bad idea, probably the best replacement out there right now.
Starting Bol Bol would be a wild but possibly winning move. Nuggets haven’t signed him yet so pick him up as a power center and see what happens
Does it matter? The team chemistry is still going to be an issue if and when Davis decides he doesn’t like the team being all about LeBron, whose skills are fading, by the way.
Does anyone know… can they apply for an injury exemption?
I say wrangle in Dwight. Why not? He’s still a great rebounder and can protect the rim.
For how much? They can’t afford him.
The LAL/LAC injury train has left the station. Looks to be a last man standing situation for the Division title. Maybe GS sneaks through.
Logically speaking, the Cousins injury opens the door for the Rockets, Nuggets & Jazz to become serious conference title threats vs the Clippers.