For all the question marks DeMarcus Cousins brought with him when he latched on to the Lakers early last month, there was to be no doubting his value. Signed to a $3.5-million deal, he would have been a cinch to start for a powerhouse squad that includes perennial All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In nominal terms, his salary, significantly lower than the $5.3 million he inked with the Warriors for the previous season, is just 231st of the 450 to be drawn by players on official franchise rosters. In other words, he was pegged to be a bargain-basement contributor who, at the very least, figured to give the purple and gold much-needed depth.
Not anymore. Last week, Cousins blew his left knee while working out in Las Vegas. Subsequent tests revealed him to be suffering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, requiring surgery and thus keeping him out for the entire 2019-20 season. Even as he was already deemed damaged goods prior to joining the Lakers, he carried with him the potential to be a difference maker; after all, he has sported career norms of 21.2, 10.9, 3.2, 1.4, and 1.2 since being drafted fifth overall in 2010. At worst, he would have been productive in spurts — and especially with Davis loathe to spend time at the center slot.
That Cousins would succumb to yet another injury wasn’t wholly unexpected, hence his availability at just above the veterans minimum. On the other hand, not even his most ardent critics could have foreseen him claiming the hoops trifecta in a span of 18 months. In January 2018, he went under the knife to repair his left Achilles. Four months ago, he went down due to a torn left quadriceps. And while his determination to succeed may get him back sooner rather than later, the recovery period is nonetheless long and arduous.
Which brings the Lakers to a point they never thought they could consider: reaching out to Dwight Howard to replace Cousins in the lineup. That they’re thinking of doing so even after an acrimonious breakup in 2013 speaks volumes of the relative dearth of alternatives. To begin with, he’s also far from physically sharp; last season, he missed all but nine games in November due to a variety of ailments, including one that compelled him to have spinal surgery. Perhaps more importantly, he has excess baggage that may well disrupt a locker room best described as volatile, with so many new faces needing stability and not unpredictability.
Granted, the Lakers wouldn’t be putting themselves in the best position to win if they didn’t look at all possible recourses, renewing ties with Howard included. It should be the last resort, however — even more of a nuclear option than, say, taking Joakim Noah in. No doubt, they’re angling for a quick fix, and crossing their fingers Cousins will convalesce faster than projected and be ready for spot duty in the postseason. And, in this regard, doing nothing now avoids he prospect of taking a step back later.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
