2:53pm: Wojnarowski passes along an update on Cousins’ salary figure, tweeting that the deal will actually be worth $3.5MM rather than the minimum. So the Lakers will need to use cap space or the room exception for the signing.
2:22pm: Schwartz tells ESPN that Cousins’ deal will be worth just $2.3MM. That sounds like a veteran’s minimum contract, as the big man’s minimum salary this year will be $2,331,593.
1:38pm: The Lakers have reached a deal with perhaps the most notable free agent left on the market, as agent Jeff Schwartz tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) that DeMarcus Cousins will sign a one-year contract with the Lakers.
Cousins, a two-time All-NBA Second Team center, had to deal with a limited market this summer after a season in which he spent the first half recovering from an Achilles tear, then missed most of the postseason due to a torn quad.
Appearing in 30 regular season games for the Warriors, Cousins still put up impressive per-minute numbers, averaging 16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.5 BPG, and 1.3 SPG in 25.7 minutes per contest. However, he struggled on defense and didn’t have his old explosiveness.
Still, the Lakers won’t have to pay huge money to roll the dice on Cousins for one year. While we don’t yet know what the 28-year-old’s new contract will be worth, the club is believed to have used up more than two-thirds of its projected $32MM in cap room on reported deals for Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Quinn Cook.
In Los Angeles, Cousins will team up once again with his old Pelicans teammate Anthony Davis. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Heat were among the teams with interest in Cousins, but a handful of Lakers players – including AD – helped sell him on joining the Lakers.
Cousins’ and Davis’ relationship in New Orleans was solid, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic, who tweets that AD’s pitch to Cousins was short and to the point: “Let’s win it all.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saw this coming. Makes sense
Finally! Been wanting this guy on the Lakers for so long. Too bad it’s at this point of his career where we don’t know what he has to offer. Hopefully can get back to himself and they can lock him and AD up together for the future. Sure people will hate on this signing but I love it.
The DMC that you want on the Lakers is a completely different DMC to the DMC that has signed with the Lakers…hate to break it to ya.
We knew this one was coming
the boogie man
Wow mega ring chaser
Ring chaser? He’s chasing a contract. The Lakers aren’t winning a ring.
Clippers aren’t beating lakers this year
Yes they are LOL
And So It Begins. The Battle of LA. Love it finally a worthy discussion.
And he ain’t getting paid for the 2nd consecutive season…
5 or 6 seed
5 or 6 seed? You haters are so full of shhhhh!!!!!! Get out of here! A team with LeBron, AD, Kuzma, Green and Cousins is the 5th or 6th seed? Lol. Warriors aren’t the Warriors anymore, OKC is done and not surprised if Westbrook is gone soon, Rockets are a year older and more injury prone with CP3. Tell me the 5 or 6 teams better than the Lakers in the West without taking out of hatred for them.
Ignorant Laker fans are hilarious.They talk about other teams getting older and Laker players don’t
There’s a reason why Laker fans are the dumbest in all sports and this post shows it
Strong words. There’s a lot of banners hanging in Staples Center and they certainly aren’t out of nails, string, and purple thread. Not saying they’ll win it this year but a storied franchise with a lot of success.
As a Warriors fan whose team sucked for years and years I give all respect to Lakers and their fans. All fans for that matter. Stand up shout for your team.
Lot of reason for optimism with this off-season. Very exciting so many teams have improved.
The Lakers haven’t been relevant in almost 10 years and a team with a washed up Cousins and a fading LBJ won’t change anything
The fact that the idiot remarks about other teams getting older as if the Lakers aren’t is sheer ignorance which is a prime example of a Laker fan
What did he say that was wrong? Warriors are down at least this year. OKC is about to rebuild. Rockets are in turmoil and hit their ceiling. Lakers are a top team in the west
16
Nuggets, Blazers, Jazz, Rockets, Clippers, Warriors. Stop being an ignorant fan.
Jazz definitely improved, a lot more than people are giving them credit for.
In a sport where you get paid to win games? Who would have thought.
This very well could be the steel of the entire free agency. Period in 30 games coming off a torn Achilles cousins had 16.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG. As everyone knows your first year back from an Achilles is a throwaway so now hopefully he will get back to the player he was in 2017 if he is the Lakers just got their big three.
55-62 games, 30m/gm, 18pt, 9reb is quite possible. He probably sits for one of each b2b game on the schedule.
Never mind the torn quad. Dude’s legs are shot.
He looked good when healthy after the Achilles injury. Honestly this was a monster add for them and I think he is going to do everything possible to be his best after these low salaries
You have forgotten about the 2019 Playoffs already???
Missing out on Kawhi sucks but they are filling out the roster well. So much for “missing out” on the free agents that signed earlier in the week
Umm they did “miss out” on the free agents that signed earlier. Lakers are picking up scraps.
Nah they are getting better role players for less than the overpay that occured earlier this week. I can even see them trying to acquire westbrook
They have nothing to offer for Russ. Boston or Dallas will get him if anything.
Russ in Boston would had made sense if they didn’t just get Walker. Boston does have picks and talent to trade for him.
Only player they can trade is kuz and their contracts won’t match.
How? Lakers pretty much sign 3 of their own guys. Cousins is still a decent center, Dudley a vet who has a decent shot and green can still play some pretty decent d
Yeah really missed out on giving Ariza or Redick 13 million. Rondo and Boogie on the minimum > any day
Rondo and Boogie are what they are. Done.
You are what your are it’s starts with a D too
Uh no by waiting they got DMC for cheap.
Yikes. I forecast a Kuzma trade. Use him to get a PG.
Why would they trade kuz when they could use him as a back up. Kuz good enough that he can play both PF and some SF
Get out of here dude
San Antonio has an extra PG and they’ve always liked kuzma.
What makes you think the Spurs like Kuzma?
great move by LA
So much for those “Boot Scootin Boogie” billboards in San Antonio
Comedy. Next are JR Smith and Carmelo.
With green and kcp sign I don’t see the need for jr Smith and where would melo play? As and kuz at PF and they have cousins and McGee at center
He’s joking…
Cousins and AD reunite. This should be interesting
Go grab Rondo
Didn’t seem to help the warriors too much…..gotta keep coattail riding for that ring.
Boogie is a big that can stretch the floor, who two years ago was in line for a supermax deal. He only played 30 games last year, he’ll be very good this year. My only question is who’s gonna defend all the perimeter shooters in the west.
Looked like he lost his hops in the Finals, some people don’t recover from Achilles injuries. Jury is still out on Boogie.
That’s true but he also had a quad injury. I am not a lakers fan but I am a Boogie fan. If he’s healthy and motivated, look out.
The first year is always terrible, and he was honestly better than expected.
LOL! Only Laker haters could laugh over this signing. The guy put up 17 points and eight rebounds a night for Golden State and that was coming off a catastrophic injury and we all know the first year back is a throwaway. But then again even if he goes back to his 25 and 12 I’m not the Laker haters will still say he sucks showing just how stupid they are. Will he? Hard to say but being he was only 27 when he got injured let’s just say history is on his side.
Unfortunately his pre injury form will not come back . His injury is bad and he will keep injured with quad injury . His defense is terrible. Will be a good bench player or a 25 min player
i love Boogie and don’t subscribe to him breing a cancer but you loving this move off the heals of you calling Kawhi and PG13 “two of the biggest head cases” and “team cancers” is hilarious.
The problem isn’t the offense. The problem is his Pick and Roll defense is really bad.
Too bad basketball isn’t played with his type of style anymore. Good luck coach BRON BRON
Someone lucks into Boogie, has to be the Lakers. They now have a super team really.
Boogie battled through everything and while he wasn’t close to 100% and his effort really impacted the Warriors 2 wins in the finals.
Woulda loved for the Mavs to take a chance but they’re on some next level genius stuff I guess
super team? No they have a team that might compete in the west. But no super team.
Boogie on the minimum (even if he’s never back to pre injury) is a steal.
Vets minimum?! I see someone getting added to the new Space Jam. Lol
Cousins as a scorer off the bench could be really good. Javale’ role probably decreases a bit, but a 3 Center rotation of Davis, Cousins, and Javale is pretty damn good. As I said last night, good job of bouncing back for the Lakers. They still have 1-2 pieces to add, but assuming health, which could be an issue, they’re solid…
Rondo, Green, Kuzma, LeBron, Davis
KCP, Cousins, Cook/Avery Bradley?, Lance?, Javale, Dudley, etc off the bench
Actually it probably highly likely AD plays PF and cousins or McGee start at center.
I see them playing 2 big lineups in stretches, but Cousins would be super effective as a scorer off the bench, especially as he continues to get his legs under him . I could see him playing 25 minutes a game.
Head case #1 in the nba right here
That’s Kyrie.
Kawhi
This Lakers team looks pretty solid! I think not landing Leonard might be the balance the NBA needs and I still give the Lakers the edge to win it all. They have a strong supporting cast and their bench continues to improve. Watching boogie play in the finals was impressive, I think this was a steal and if he bounces back to even 75% of what he was in 2017, he’s that 3rd superstar on that laker roster that no one saw coming!
I heard Granville Waiters was available.
Cousins was a solid gamble for the Warriors last season and he is a solid gamble for the Lakers now.
$3.5M for Boogie is a bargain. Will be an asset in the regular season and Yr2 off injury might show more explosiveness. With LeBron and pal AD around, Boogie will at the least be on his best behavior. Lakers are building out an impressive rotation on the cheap.
C: Anthony Davis
PF: Kuzma
SF: LeBron
SG: Danny Green
PG: Rajon Rondo
6- G Caldwell-Pope
7- C Boogie Cousins
8- C JaVale McGee
9- G Troy Daniels
10- F Jared Dudley
11- G Alex Caruso
12- G Horton-Tucker
McGee or cousins starts. Davis doesn’t want to play the five. He will be the biggest guy in the of floor at times of course, but won’t start at the 5.
Rondo & Kuzma will be backups if they even stick around. Rondo isn’t signed– Lakers can do better.
Dude is a locker room cancer. There’s a reason why they didn’t work out in New Orleans and aint gonna be any better here and hes injured.. Hes just a very negative mopey guy so glad he was traded off the king’s
It didn’t work out in NO because he got injured MR Hater
Clippers are gonna be damn good lakers will be good but damn good that’s a big maybe a lot has to happen like cousins playing like his old self and LB playing really great which he can but will see can’t wait for season to start
Lakers now just collecting scraps from the table. LOL!!!
Now add Korver & Iggy.
Biggest cancer in the NBA by far. It’s going to be fun watching lebron trying to trade half this roster in February lol.
There are so many laker haters here. Paul George had a career year last year. AD and Lebron are miles ahead of him. Kawhi is legit. But everyone forgets Lakers have kuzma too. Kuzma cousins Lebron ad rondo green kcp that’s pretty amazing. I’ll take that over clips in a second. Kawhi Beverly and George are huge injury risks too. Doc rivers had Chris PAUL Blake griffin and Jordan and couldn’t do shit w all their egos. He’s a better coach w young low ego guys.
Who is better… PG or AD….. Beverly vs Green?
Too bad that Utah or the Clips will win the West. LeBron was awesome. LeBron is getting long in tooth.
Utah VS. Indiana in the 2020 finals, a dream for the network folks LOL