How good is a George/Cousins lead Lakers team?

[Smokeeye123]

If Lakers get Paul George, which I think they will, they will have an easy time acquiring another star in free agency or via trade. PG is good friends with Cousins who can convince him to ditch the Pelicans - who are a first round exit at best even with Cousins- and to be the next great laker big man up on ball Mount Rushmore with The Shaqs and the Wilts and the Kareem's.


Here's what I'd do if I were the Lakers..

1. Get rid of Dengs horrendous contract, send out Ingram with him to fetch some young talent for better team depth. This will allow more financial flexibility to sign max deals.

Hypothetical trade: Ingram and Deng to Chicago for Valentine, Portis, 2019 1st (TOP 3 protected)

Sign George and Cousins Max deals

Re-sign Caldwell-Pope and Lopez (both better fit than isaiah Thomas for the Lakers)

How good would this hypothetical 2018-19 Lakers team be?

PG: Lonzo Ball , Tyler Ennis
SG. Caldwell-Pope , Josh Hart
SF: Paul George , Denzel Valentine
PF: Julius Randle , Kyle Kuzma
C: DeMarcus Cousins , Brook Lopez , Bobby Portis

Am I way off base here or does that look like a title team? 

That team loses in the first round and gets blown up in 2-3 years.

[bknova]

Cousins needs to go to Washington, who then need to trade Beal + Oubre to San Antonio for Leonard.

Wall, Leonard, Cousins could make some noise in the East.

[bknova]

Also, smart money is on DeRozan landing in LA with PG.  He could be had for Deng and Kuzma. Leonard can't.

Leonard's gonna fetch a CJ McCollum or a Bradley Beal, or a Ben Simmons (more likely Fultz and Saric).  Point being, without Ingram, the Lakers cannot acquire Leonard. 

[Boris Badenov]

I object to any thread with "Cousins" and "lead" in the same sentence.

[Tr1boy]

lazy

[green_bballers13]

lazy

Huh? The Lakers team is lazy? I don't understand your "less than ambitious" post.

[keevsnick]

I think the ultimate LA fantasy is George and Lebron sign there the Kawhi forces a trade there for Ingram and Ball and other stuff.

[BitterJim]

I object to any thread with "Cousins" and "lead" in the same sentence.

What about "Cousing lead the league in technical fouls"? 

[Phantom255x]

Playoff team. That's about it honestly. Likely bounced first round, or second round at best.

[tazzmaniac]

Cousins needs to go to Washington, who then need to trade Beal + Oubre to San Antonio for Leonard.

Wall, Leonard, Cousins could make some noise in the East.

Washington has no cap space to sign Cousins and he isn't going to take the MLE.   

[bknova]

Cousins needs to go to Washington, who then need to trade Beal + Oubre to San Antonio for Leonard.

Wall, Leonard, Cousins could make some noise in the East.

Washington has no cap space to sign Cousins and he isn't going to take the MLE.

S&T for Porter, who slots in pretty well with that NO lineup. 

[GreenEnvy]

How are the Pelicans “a first round exit at best” when they just swept the first round?

Regardless, I don’t see how well that team can do. Cousins is coming off a major injury that some never get back to what they were athletically. I don’t trust PG13 as a leader and definitely don’t trust Cousins.

I guess they can make the playoffs, yet Cousins was part of a team straddling the playoff picture with a much better player in AD. But I’d say they are definitely a first round exit at best.

[SHAQATTACK]

not a contender for sure.

maybe low mid seed playoff

not in the conversation to beat GS

[gouki88]

If Lakers get Paul George, which I think they will, they will have an easy time acquiring another star in free agency or via trade. PG is good friends with Cousins who can convince him to ditch the Pelicans - who are a first round exit at best even with Cousins- and to be the next great laker big man up on ball Mount Rushmore with The Shaqs and the Wilts and the Kareem's.


Here's what I'd do if I were the Lakers..

1. Get rid of Dengs horrendous contract, send out Ingram with him to fetch some young talent for better team depth. This will allow more financial flexibility to sign max deals.

Hypothetical trade: Ingram and Deng to Chicago for Valentine, Portis, 2019 1st (TOP 3 protected)

Sign George and Cousins Max deals

Re-sign Caldwell-Pope and Lopez (both better fit than isaiah Thomas for the Lakers)

How good would this hypothetical 2018-19 Lakers team be?

PG: Lonzo Ball , Tyler Ennis
SG. Caldwell-Pope , Josh Hart
SF: Paul George , Denzel Valentine
PF: Julius Randle , Kyle Kuzma
C: DeMarcus Cousins , Brook Lopez , Bobby Portis

Am I way off base here or does that look like a title team? 

I mean, that is quite easily provably incorrect. Or did you miss them sweep the #3 seed?

And yeah you’re off base. That’s not even close to a title team. Easily worse than Houston and Golden State, probably worse than Utah and Minnesota

[jambr380]

I would love if this was the final roster in LAL. I like George as a player, but he isn't a superstar. As for Cousins, NOP got appreciably better after Cousins went down.

Lakers would be good enough to be a solid playoff team, but wouldn't win anything and wouldn't be able to acquire any more high picks or top FAs.