The Tribune

By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

DEMARCUS Cousins may have been waived by the Los Angeles Lakers but their relationship is not entirely done.

As most know, the move was meant to maximise the personnel available for the Lakers who are determined to win it all this 2019-20 NBA season.

Waiving Cousins was needed to make room for Markieff Morris.

Morris joined the Lakers once he cleared waivers with the Detroit Pistons.

Prior to the shift in interest in Morris, head coach Frank Vogel made it seem like Cousins was set to return at some point for the Lakers.

The 29-year-old big man remains out after suffering an ACL injury before the current NBA season started.

(In my opinion, even if he did return, he would have been a non-factor for the Lakers in the upcoming NBA playoffs, too much rust from such a long layoff.

I do, however, feel Cousins will re-sign with the Lakers in the offseason.

Consider the following:

• Cousins remains a Laker despite being waived.

• Cousins could re-sign with the Lakers in the summer

• Cousins is focusing on rehabilitation, saving the best for next season.

Despite getting waived, Marc Stein of The New York Times eluded to how the All-Star centre is unlikely to be formally released by Los Angeles.

Per NBA rules, a player waived when injured can still continue rehabbing with that team.

Therefore, Cousins is expected to continue his rehabilitation in the Lakers’ facilities as he works his way to an NBA return.

That return could happen as early as this summer and if Cousins decides to re-sign with the Lakers, he could be in the best shape of his career, playing on another $3.5 million per season, ‘prove it’ contract.

Another major factor to be considered is Cousins has close ties with Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo.So the possibility of seeing Cousins remain in a Lakers uniform is getting stronger and stronger, now that the dust has cleared from Cousins’ initial release.

This is obviously another genius move for Lakers GM Rob Pelinka - a win-win for all parties concerned, considering Cousin’s recent catastrophic injury history.

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