[Tune SquadParticipant]

First of all I am not a Laker fan or a Sacramento fan (just a basketball fan in general). I like trades and this time of year is especially exciting to entertain ideas for them. There are a lot of crazy trade/ draft rumors in general (so many I can’t believe people even bother to report) but I think the Laker fans have to get real about what it would take to make Demarcus Cousins a Laker. I keep seeing these trades proposed with somehow magically the Lakers getting back the 6th overall pick in a deal where they get Cousins lol. This is just not happening. This is not the Pau Gasol fleecing/ gifting happening all over. Take a look at what it took to get Kevin Love and Cousins’ value is higher than that right now. Sacramento has no reason to deal Cousins unless they are getting a similar package, they are not tied to having to deal him to the Lakers alone if they do end up wanting to and likely they will be wanting young marketable options in return not to give up their own picks.

Minimum we are looking at Sacramento getting #2 overall, Clarkson and/or Randle and another future 1st rounder (depending on if they gave up both Randle and Clarkson). This might not sound good to Laker fans but I am not saying you need to trade for Cousins either. I am just saying that if you want Cousins you need to be realistic as to what Sacramento will actually sign off on a trade. To convince a team to trade away the best player they have had since Chris Webber you are going to have to bowl them over with a huge offer they can’t afford to refuse.

I also don’t think another team will be involved because every scenario I have seen in regards to that also involves at least one team other than the Lakers getting fleeced/ screwed.

**Personally I believe if it were my favorite team I would want the #2 pick and to lose Cousins volatile nature while his value is at an all-time high is great (because he is kind of like Dwight in that you could bend over backwards trying to cater to him and still lose him eventually which a small market team can’t afford to happen). So if your a Lakers fan who says don’t make this trade, well I agree. If you are a Sacramento fan who is asking for a great package of picks, I also agree. In a league with the present Warriors, Clippers, Cavs, Bulls teams and the retooling Heat, Spurs, Rockets…I don’t believe that Cousins is going to lead that team to a championship in Sacramento (and that is the name of the game) however he could be a part of something bigger in L.A. with different pieces around him and Lakers are the best fit right now with the what they could offer. 

I know this is a big summer for Lakers fans and hey this time of year brings excitement about future potential line-ups for every team/fan.. so dream away of FA acquistions, trades and having a contending team soon but let’s not flood the forum with so many obvious one-sided trade ideas when there are so many other exciting and more realistic things to talk about. 

 

 

[gopack10Participant]

I’m a Hawks fan so I have no dog in this fight but as I mentioned yesterday, this Kings team as it is currently constructed, isn’t going anywhere.  At least not unless they switch conferences.

If I’m the Kings I’m at least listening to the Lakers on Cousins but like a report said yesterday, they’ll want any team to take on Rudy Gay’s contract in the process.  The Lakers can do that and also have picks to help faciliate this deal.

A complete rebuilding process is what I’d want as a Kings fan and getting rid of those two guys would really move that along.  Although, Karl doesn’t want to go that route.  If the Lakers sent Clarkson, #2, #27 and #34 to the Kings, I would make that move in a heartbeat if I’m Vlade.

That’s four picks for the Kings in the top 34 along with a PG with good size that is still improving and showed a lot of promise last season.  Take Okafor at #2, Winslow at #6, RJ Hunter at #27 and potentially Chris McCullough/Jordan Mickey/Richaun Holmes at #34.  That’s a solid start towards rebuilding.

And who knows, if you did that deal and cleared all that salary then maybe you could make a quick call to Golden State, take on David Lee’s money and as for the #30 pick.  Lee walks after next year and you can add another guy to the mix.

All of this is hypothetical of course and has a lot of moving parts but, like I said above, if I’m a Kings fan I want to blow this whole thing up and start over.

 

 

 

 

 

[gopack10Participant]

I’m a Hawks fan so I have no dog in this fight but as I mentioned yesterday, this Kings team as it is currently constructed, isn’t going anywhere.  At least not unless they switch conferences.

If I’m the Kings I’m at least listening to the Lakers on Cousins but like a report said yesterday, they’ll want any team to take on Rudy Gay’s contract in the process.  The Lakers can do that and also have picks to help faciliate this deal.

A complete rebuilding process is what I’d want as a Kings fan and getting rid of those two guys would really move that along.  Although, Karl doesn’t want to go that route.  If the Lakers sent Clarkson, #2, #27 and #34 to the Kings, I would make that move in a heartbeat if I’m Vlade.

That’s four picks for the Kings in the top 34 along with a PG with good size that is still improving and showed a lot of promise last season.  Take Okafor at #2, Winslow at #6, RJ Hunter at #27 and potentially Chris McCullough/Jordan Mickey/Richaun Holmes at #34.  That’s a solid start towards rebuilding.

And who knows, if you did that deal and cleared all that salary then maybe you could make a quick call to Golden State, take on David Lee’s money and as for the #30 pick.  Lee walks after next year and you can add another guy to the mix.

All of this is hypothetical of course and has a lot of moving parts but, like I said above, if I’m a Kings fan I want to blow this whole thing up and start over.

 

 

 

 

 

[KHAM83Participant]

 Hawks fan here btw, are you on Peachtreehoops?

But if I’m Sacramento, I definitely do that deal. Lakers get lucky again and get Cousins and Gay, but you have 2 top picks to build around. I’ll probably have them include Julius R as well just because Lakers are desperate.

 

 

 

[KHAM83Participant]

 Hawks fan here btw, are you on Peachtreehoops?

But if I’m Sacramento, I definitely do that deal. Lakers get lucky again and get Cousins and Gay, but you have 2 top picks to build around. I’ll probably have them include Julius R as well just because Lakers are desperate.

 

 

 

[gopack10Participant]

 I am on Peachtreehoops but I don’t post there that much.  I have a friend that writes (or used to) for them.

[gopack10Participant]

 I am on Peachtreehoops but I don’t post there that much.  I have a friend that writes (or used to) for them.

[MopgrassParticipant]

I think if Cousins were just an awesome player then everyone on here objecting to the Kings not getting enough in the hypothetical trade would be justified. However, I’d hesitate to have Cousins represent my town for personality reasons and because I wouldn’t want to pay the price for a guy who hasn’t helped produce a winning team. Those two things, real or perceived, bring his value down. 

[MopgrassParticipant]

I think if Cousins were just an awesome player then everyone on here objecting to the Kings not getting enough in the hypothetical trade would be justified. However, I’d hesitate to have Cousins represent my town for personality reasons and because I wouldn’t want to pay the price for a guy who hasn’t helped produce a winning team. Those two things, real or perceived, bring his value down. 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 As a Lakers fan I am not at all in favor of this trade. Cousins is a great player. Hes probably the most dominant low post scorer in the game right now. However, I am not a fan of his attitude and I’m not sure if he is really a leader and the type of player you want to build your team around. 

They are just giving up too much here. In the number 2 pick, they are giving up someone who could be just as good if not better than cousins eventually plus 2 other players in randle and Clarkson with tremendous potential as well. This would be a clear sign to me that they are not thinking about the future and just trying to be competitive for Kobes twilight years, which is the absolute wrong strategy imo.

I’d much rather see them draft Russell (who I believe has superstar potential) and keep all their picks and young players and see what develops next season. Than they can play free agency hard in 2016 when the cap goes up and they will have tons of cap space. They need to realize they are in rebuilding mode and its process that will take time. Trading for cousins is a splashy move that might satisfy an angry fan base in the short-term but it realistically doesn’t put them anywhere near contention unless they have some other magic tricks rolled up their sleeve in free agency, which I don’t see. 

 

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 As a Lakers fan I am not at all in favor of this trade. Cousins is a great player. Hes probably the most dominant low post scorer in the game right now. However, I am not a fan of his attitude and I’m not sure if he is really a leader and the type of player you want to build your team around. 

They are just giving up too much here. In the number 2 pick, they are giving up someone who could be just as good if not better than cousins eventually plus 2 other players in randle and Clarkson with tremendous potential as well. This would be a clear sign to me that they are not thinking about the future and just trying to be competitive for Kobes twilight years, which is the absolute wrong strategy imo.

I’d much rather see them draft Russell (who I believe has superstar potential) and keep all their picks and young players and see what develops next season. Than they can play free agency hard in 2016 when the cap goes up and they will have tons of cap space. They need to realize they are in rebuilding mode and its process that will take time. Trading for cousins is a splashy move that might satisfy an angry fan base in the short-term but it realistically doesn’t put them anywhere near contention unless they have some other magic tricks rolled up their sleeve in free agency, which I don’t see. 

 

 

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