DeMarcus Cousins chose to join the Golden State Warriors in free agency and, in short, his decision made the best team in the NBA an even more overwhelming favorite to claim the 2019 title. The specifics of the move will be litigated for some time but, in his newsletter on Tuesday evening, Marc Stein of the New York Times indicated that one of Golden State’s primary competitors passed on an opportunity to match (or exceed) the price eventually accepted in Oakland.
That team was the Los Angeles Lakers.
Word also reached us Monday night that LeBron’s Lakers, after signing Rajon Rondo away from New Orleans and then losing Randle to the Pelicans, had an opportunity to sign Cousins at a one-year price point similar to the one that landed him in Golden State. But I’m told the Lakers passed, clearing the way for the Warriors to infuriate the basketball public yet again.
The Lakers undeniably had more flexibility to add Cousins if they wanted to do so, especially prior to agreeing to deals with Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Still, this report indicates that LeBron James’ new team didn’t want to do so and that is certainly a curious choice.
In the midst of wild reaction on all sides, there has been some sentiment that the market never materialized for Cousins, largely due to an Achilles injury that might sideline him for the start of the upcoming season. Still, the All-NBA big man seemingly would’ve been a worthwhile gamble for the Lakers, particularly given an apparent ethos to sign short contracts while keeping the team’s 2019 salary cap sheet clean.
Cousins will be taking the floor for the Warriors when he’s healthy but, throughout the season, it will be tough to ignore the fact that he seemingly could have been alongside LeBron in a very different situation.
