Report: Lakers, Kings discussing potential trade involving DeMarcus Cousins
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The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings "exchanged possible frameworks" for a trade involving Kings All-NBA center DeMarcus Cousins on Wednesday, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Sacramento has also begun exploring trade options for Cousins outside of the Lakers, as the team's stance on moving him has "increasingly softened."
Kings vice president Vlade Divac has said on numerous occasions that Boogie is "untradeable," despite head coach George Karl pushing for the team to move their All-Star, with the Denver Nuggets representing a prime potential landing spot, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
Karl's desire to strike a deal with his former club doesn't work for Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive, who doesn't want to send his best player to the place the Kings' former coach, Mike Malone, and former general manager, Pete D'Alessandro, call home, according to Wojnarowski.
In a potential deal with the Lakers, Divac would reportedly like to accumulate as many assets as possible, including the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, young upstarts in Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, and anything else he can realistically gain from Sacramento's' Pacific Division rivals.
Kings management would also love to move Carl Landry and the two years and $13.5 million remaining on his contract, though that may be easier said than done.
The Lakers have "no intention" of moving Randle, who missed the entire 2014-15 regular season after breaking his right tibia during the home opener against the Houston Rockets.
Clarkson, who the Lakers are also "reluctant to part with," was one of the few bright spots on the roster, averaging 11.9 points and 3.5 assists before being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
The 2015 NBA Draft goes down on Thursday night, with the Lakers "eager to make a deal" before the festivities take place. If everyone stays put, Los Angeles will go ahead and use their pick on either Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell, Wojnarowski reports.
All signs point towards Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns being selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite his assurance that no promises have been made to him by the team.