The Los Angeles Lakers pulled a surprise move when they signed Tristan Thompson ahead of their playoff run.
And it was even more surprising that they actually never offered DeMarcus Cousins, another center who they had worked out prior to getting Thompson on board with a deal, according to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Cousins stayed in shape this season and had a workout with the Lakers but never got an offer to sign with a team after playing 48 total games with Denver and Milwaukee in 2021-22,” the insider wrote in his ESPN report.
Per Lakers Daily, the front office wasn’t keen on getting Cousins, a former Laker back on board. “Sources tell Lakers Daily that general manager Rob Pelinka is not a fan of Cousins,” the outlet’s Zach Stevens wrote. “Apparently, he ‘left a bad taste in Pelinka’s mouth,’ and the team is ‘adamant’ about not signing him.'”
Cousins now has a new team he will ply his trade for. The 32-year-old signed with the Guaynabo Mets, a Puerto Rican basketball team — a stint that he hopes will put him back in the NBA reckoning.
Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham Explains Why The Team Signed Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson last played competitive basketball in April 2022, and that would mean some rust, but he did reportedly make a splash when working out with the side.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham explained the logic behind the Lakers signing the veteran big man.
“What he brings, his spirit, his positivity, as well as the way he’s played, years and years of championship-level basketball, championship pedigree,” Ham said, via Heavy.
“Great guy to be around. Great teammate. I’ve heard nothing but great things about him,” Ham said. “And having coached against him for a bunch of years, he and I have always had a great rapport throughout his career. I’m a big fan of his. I watched him back when he was playing at Texas, but just another great guy to add a serviceable player if we need to go in that direction.”
By calling him a serviceable player, Ham knows that he has a big man who comes with championship experience, especially with the Lakers set to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
Maybe, Cousins’ loss was Thompson’s gain, and only time will tell how much use he makes of the limited opportunities he gets with the Lakers.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
