DeMarcus Cousins is leaving Los Angeles Lakers without even making a debut for the franchise. Lakers waived Cousins over the weekend in order to free a roster spot for Markieff Morris.
Cousins joined the Lakers in the offseason, but ended up tearing his ACL during the preseason workouts. Although there were some speculations that he might return in time for playoffs, the team decided to go with the option that can help them right now.
That option turned out to be Morris, who managed to get a buyout from Detroit Pistons in recent days. The 30-year-old was reportedly signed using a $1.75 million disabled player exception that Lakers received after Cousins got injured.
Markieff Morris will provide the Lakers with much-needed depth, and he could also fix their shooting struggles. Morris played 44 games with the Pistons this season, contributing with 11.0 points and 3.9 rebounds. Most importantly, he was a good defender and efficient from the three-point line, making 39.7 percent of his threes.
Morris will play a backup role for Anthony Davis, taking some of his workload and enabling him to stay fresh for the postseason. His addition could also benefit Kyle Kuzma, who will be able to spend more time playing small forward; a position he is more efficient in.
Lakers are currently No.1 in the West with 43-12 record. Their next game is against New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, which is when Morris might make his debut.
