DeMarcus Cousins is expected to work out with the Lakers next week, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, as the team searches for reinforcements in the frontcourt with Anthony Davis sidelined due to a foot injury.
An official date for the workout has yet to be determined, but Cousins has been staying in shape by working out in Las Vegas. As of Thursday, NBA teams are eligible to sign players to 10-day contracts, which could be an option for the Lakers to take advantage of with the 11-year NBA veteran.
Cousins, 32, last played for the Nuggets during the 2021–22 season. He saw action in 31 games as the primary backup for MVP Nikola Jokić, averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.
After he was selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2010 draft by Sacramento, Cousins went onto have stints with the Kings, Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Bucks and Nuggets. He made four All-Star teams from 2015 to ’18 and boasts career averages of 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
The Lakers could use another big man as they await the return of Davis, who suffered a stress reaction in his right foot during a game against the Nuggets on Dec. 16. Though Davis himself said that the injury was healing “pretty quickly,” there remains no clear timeline for the All-Star’s return to the court.
Davis had been a key cog in the Lakers game plan to start the year, averaging 27.4 points and a career-high 12.1 rebounds per game prior to his injury. Los Angeles (17–21) has managed to stay afloat in the playoff race due in part to a remarkable stretch from LeBron James, but is still in 12th in the Western Conference as the season’s halfway point approaches
