When the Los Angeles Lakers were assembling their roster around Anthony Davis and LeBron James, one of the more intriguing signings was DeMarcus Cousins. Signed to a one-year contract, the versatile and once-dominant center was determined to re-establish his value.
Cousins was coming off an injury-riddled season with the Golden State Warriors, which included pushing to return from a torn quad for the NBA Finals. However, Cousins’ time with the Lakers ended before it began as he suffered a torn ACL during a summer scrimmage.
Some believed he would make a recovery in time for this season’s Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals, and that possibility grew when the NBA suspended play and pushed its calendar back in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.