Heisler: Lakers Reportedly Willing to Trade Russell in Potential Cousins Deal

Looks like talk with Sac hasn't ended.
Didn't see this anywhere, if it's been posted, please merge/delete.

Sunday, June 28
Mark Heisler of Forbes reported the Lakers are still interested in Cousins and would trade D'Angelo Russell as part of a deal after drafting the Ohio State product with the second overall selection in the 2015 NBA draft.

Prior to selecting Russell, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports revealed on June 24 the Lakers and Kings had exchanged the framework of a deal that would send Cousins to Los Angeles:

"Divac has pursued a possible deal that would include a bevvy of assets, including the Lakers' No. 2 pick in Thursday's NBA draft, rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson and other draft assets, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Sacramento also would want to unload the remainder of forward Carl Landry's two years, $13.5 million contract, league sources said."

On June 24 Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News cited a source "familiar with Cousins' thinking" that "DeMarcus wants to be a Laker. It's up to the two sides to make a deal."

Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported on June 22 the Lakers were in the market for Cousins' services. He also noted the Orlando Magic were involved in the talks and would have sent Nikola Vucevic to Sacramento as part of a three-team deal, though Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reported otherwise.

Cousins has also been linked to the Nuggets, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, who noted on June 23 that Karl "is enamored with the idea of a deal that would send Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler to Sacramento."

Despite the rumor mill surrounding Cousins, management has publicly expressed a desire to keep him, with Divac speaking on the subject on June 26 to Sacramento radio station KHTK 1140 (h/t Sam Amick of USA Today):

"I just was tired last week, or days, of these rumors, and putting a lot of stuff on our back, making this even harder than it is. I try to be who I am, and try to do my job best I can and try to do the best I can for the franchise. I'm not going to let somebody change my mind because they're putting (threats in) the paper or putting the pressure on me. I'll do the best I can to improve this team."

"We have to go forward and try to make it a healthy environment and try to have a good team for next year."

"Look, we're going to have ups and downs in the next couple months. And you're going to hate me, you're going to love me, but believe me I'm going to do the best I can to make this thing work. With me, with DeMarcus, with George, or without me, without DeMarcus, without George, I don't know. But we'll make it work."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...dium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-league

 

rehash of old article it appears, nothing new

just an agent trying to rock the boat, and dreaming, and using a large market team with money to try to gain leverage and turn the knife a little

 

good lord..please let this stupid rumor die

 

It's Mark Heisler, not an agent and the report is from Friday. And what leverage would an agent be trying to get lol? DMC is under contract not an FA.

"A league source tells Forbes.com that the Lakers would still trade newly-drafted D’Angelo Russell for Cousins."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhei...-with-newly-drafted-dangelo-russell-on-table/

 

The tweets and article from Heisler are dated June 26th. SB nation was the first take this old rumor and run with it, everyone else followed. Let it die

 

It's Monday. In the world of internet news, that's like 5 years old. Sorry.

 

Only way I see us trading Russell...

1. We completely strike out in FA, especially with bigs.
2. SAC essentially takes Russell for Cousins straight up.

I don't see either happening.

 

Go bleep yourself Heisler, I used to like you a lot before the L.A. Times let you go and kept Dumb and Dumber. If it's the F.O. for real doing this bleep them.

 

Looks like that section of it was from prior to the actual Forbes/Heisler article as it says "#2 pick" so it's from before the pick materialized into Russell. Not that Russell makes a trade any more valuable to Sac, maybe less in fact. I'm sure Sac would still ask for all the other young assets and future picks. But there is no mention from Heisler of what a new offer would be other than Russell.

 

Bleep Aldridge too if it takes doing that to get him. How stupid can he be to want to gut the team of our young, highly promising talent. Just to keep his pansy a** from having to play any center. This s**t is ridiculous. If there's truth behind it why the hell didn't Mitch take Okafor to appease his need. Then we lose NO ONE. Black and Upshaw for depth. Is that good enough for this guy??