The Lakers try out two centers! Sorry Cousins, you were rejected again!
For the Los Angeles Lakers, who are currently struggling with playoff qualification, every remaining regular season game counts! They must treat it as if it were their last game to have a chance to secure a playoff ticket from the competitive Wild West, or they risk missing the playoffs again this season. The reason why the Lakers are struggling now, in addition to James' long-term absence and greatly reduced strength, is also most directly related to their poor internal strength. The shortage of interior personnel has become an injury that is difficult for them to heal, which is also a hit that is directly targeted by many teams!
On the trade deadline, they traded Beverley for Magic talent center Bamba, thinking of using him to improve the height and hardness of the interior, but who expected that this Bamba did not resist, and he was directly reimbursed for the season due to injury after not playing a few games! This makes the Lakers, whose interior strength is already weak, stretched, leaving two big men with thick eyebrows and Vanderbilt to guard the box, which obviously has a huge hidden danger and will be very unfavorable to them to impact the playoffs! Therefore, the introduction of an interior center has also become a top priority for the Lakers management, after all, everyone knows that any team with weak interior strength cannot go further! So, there is one way ahead of the Lakers, and that is to find the right center for the team in free agency!
As we all know, near the end of the regular season, you are still looking for people in free agency, and there must not be many good players to pick up for you! After all, the slightly better role players have long been selected, and the rest are either not strong, problem players, or the style of play is easy to hurt the team. Therefore, the Lakers don't expect to pick up a baby in free market at this time, and it is almost enough to have an inside big man who can play.
According to well-known journalist Shams, the Lakers tried out free agents, centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley today. From the trial results, TT Thompson is in very good shape, although he has not played in the NBA so far this season, he has maintained a very good competitive condition, and the whole person is completely online. Tony Bradley has played for the Bulls this season and has improved recently, but he has no competitive advantage compared to TT Thompson, and it's up to the Lakers to make a choice! If nothing else, the Lakers will most likely choose TT Thompson, when he will reunite with big brother James in Los Angeles.
When it comes to free-market centers, DeMarcus Cousins has to mention that he was once the first center in the league, and although his strength plummeted due to major injuries, he still had the ability to play in the NBA and was almost called up by the league team. So why didn't the Lakers even give him a tryout?
According to Lakers self-media reporter Zach Stevens, sources revealed that Lakers general manager Pelinka is not a fan of Cousins, who made a bad impression on him and the team "resolutely" will not sign him. That is to say, even if Cousins may be stronger than TT Thompson and Tony Bradley, the Lakers will definitely not consider signing him, and even trial opportunities will not be considered, because Cousins has left a very bad impression on Pelinka before, which is a dead hole. Although Cousins is willing to play for the Lakers, he was once again rejected by Pelinka!