The Los Angeles Lakers attained the first victory of the Luka Dončić era Monday night in a 132-113 win against the Utah Jazz, improving their record to 32-19 and maintaining position as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
Both Dončić and four-time NBA champion LeBron James were adamant on crushing the Jazz in the paint through lob passes to center Jaxson Hayes, but it could make their general manager Rob Pelinka wonder what the team could look like with a more established option at the center position.
In fact, one prominent NBA insider recently prompted the idea of Los Angeles pursuing a once dominant big man currently playing for Selene Bogdons of the Mongolian Basketball League.
“DeMarcus Cousins is currently playing in Mongolia, why don’t you call him?” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested during a First Take appearance Tuesday afternoon.
“He’s literally playing in Mongolia. Are you being serious right now?”
At 34 years old, the four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection Cousins could very well make a comeback to the league.
As the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings, Cousins eventually blossomed into one of the best centers in the league before injuries rendered him to reserve roles to close his career.
His incredibly versatile offensive skillset mixed with his strength and athletic gifts may have even granted him the title of being the very best center in the NBA from 2014-2018 with the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.
Cousins’ peak in production was seen during the 2016-17 season, when he averaged 27.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks while splitting time between the Kings and Pelicans after a mid-season trade.
The aggressive frontcourt superstar was also a capable three-point shooter, as evidenced by his lifetime 33.1% accuracy from distance spanning an 11-year career.
If Cousins were to join Dončić and James as a member of the Lakers to finish out the 2024-25 season, he could plausibly be a great option for the two generational passing talents in screening actions.
Cousins would be a serviceable rim-runner and floor-spacing talent in spot minutes on the court with the two future Hall-of-Famers, which could possibly lead him to receiving his first championship ring come season’s end.
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