LA Lakers Rumors: Lakers urged to sign 4-time All-Star as temporary replacement for Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis will miss about a month after suffering a right foot injury against the Denver Nuggets last Friday. The latest rumors suggest that the LA Lakers have been urged to sign a four-time All-Star as a temporary replacement for Davis.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Lakers have several options to alleviate the absence of Davis. They could make a minor trade and acquire a serviceable big man. They could also stay put and hope that LeBron James can carry them for the next month.
Pincus opined that there's a cheaper option for the Lakers. He suggested signing free agent big man DeMarcus Cousins, who's a four-time All-Star. Cousins last played for the Nuggets, averaging 8.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31 games.
DeMarcus Cousins was once one of the best big men in the NBA. However, two major injuries robbed him of his prime years. He suffered a torn Achilles in January 2018 as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans and was teammates with Anthony Davis.
Cousins signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2019 and had a pretty successful stint. He joined the LA Lakers the next season but suffered a torn ACL during an offseason pickup game. He was later waived by the Lakers but received a championship ring.
The 32-year-old center would play for the Houston Rockets, LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks in the next two seasons. He's no longer the player he once was but can still play as a good backup. He shot 53% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc with the Nuggets last season.
However, Cousins remained a free agent as the new season started. Warriors president Bob Myers said on the "All The Smoke" podcast last month that he spoke with Cousins and explained why he's not getting signed.
"DeMarcus called me a month ago and he said, 'Why am I not in the NBA?'" Myers said. "And I said, 'You want that answer? Because people are afraid of how you're going to act.' And he's like, Why?' And I said, 'Well, whatever the reason is, it's here now.'"
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Anthony Davis' injury is 'more concerning' than initially thought
The LA Lakers gave vague updates on Anthony Davis' injury. ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed on "The Hoop Collective" podcast that Davis' injury is more concerning than initially thought.
"He's not gonna be out a game or two," Windhorst said. He's gonna be out an extended period. Hopefully, it's an injury he can get some treatment on and get it healed. It's not good; it's not a sprained ankle; it's not a sprained foot. From what I understand, it's something more concerning than that."
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