TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 02: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second half during Game Two of the 2019 NBA Finals at Scotiabank Arena on June 02, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers have moved to Plan B after losing out to Kawhi Leonard, landing DeMarcus Cousins and retaining Rajon Rondo.
Just 12 hours after losing the Kawhi Leonard Sweepstakes, the Los Angeles Lakers have moved on to Plan B — DeMarcus Cousins.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers moved quickly to sign Cousins to a one-year deal. The Lakers were in need of a starting center and may have found one in the talented Cousins, who is coming off two injury-plagued seasons and is eager to get his career back on track in Hollywood.
That wasn’t the only splash the Lakers made post-Kawhi.
The Purple and Gold also retained Rajon Rondo on a two-year deal, bringing back their starting point guard to create the core that helped lead the New Orleans Pelicans back to the playoffs a couple of seasons ago. In fact, it was Anthony Davis who convinced Cousins to come to the Lakers.
After it was made clear who had Kawhi’s ear, teams began to zero in on Cousins. The Heat seemed like the front-runners to land his services, but Davis — and other Lakers players — talked Cousins into rejuvenating his career in L.A.
With Cousins and Rondo aboard, the Lakers have a study starting a lineup that can contend with the best the West has to offer. It was the best they could do after they were stunned that Leonard, the player in which the Lakers paused their free agency to try to acquire, choose their cross-hall rivals the Clippers over them.
While the Clippers are certainly the buzz of the NBA right now, LeBron James has assembled his own crew to try to deny Leonard the right to take over L.A. We don’t know how this is going to play out, but what we do know is that Los Angeles is going to be the epicenter of the NBA for the foreseeable future.