The Lakers most directly replaced DeMarcus Cousins, who tore his ACL, with Dwight Howard.
Los Angeles might gain a mechanism to get an even better addition.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Los Angeles Lakers have applied for a $1.75M disabled player exception from the NBA for their projected season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 9, 2019
The Lakers will receive the exception if an NBA-appointed doctor rules Cousins is “substantially more likely than not” to be out through June 15. Cousins tore his ACL last month. Los Angeles seemingly has a good chance of getting this extra spending power, though it’s not certain.
The exception (worth half Cousins’ salary) is worth less than the minimum for anyone with at least five years experience. But minimum-salary and mid-level exceptions decline throughout the season. The designated-player exception does not.
So, this could quite value after the trade deadline. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles market and a larger salary would likely appeal to many veterans on the buyout market.
