Lakers Trade Rumors: Lakers, Kings 'continue to discuss' DeMarcus Cousins trade, according to report

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is "open" to joining the Los Angeles Lakers, according to the latest report from Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News. Medina cites a "league source familiar with Cousins' thinking" as saying "DeMarcus would not be unhappy if he got moved to the Lakers." Cousins has been connected with the Lakers in trade talks since a Monday report from ESPN that the Lakers were "actively pursuing" trading for the Kentucky product.

Trade discussions between the teams are ongoing, however, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The second overall pick remains the centerpiece  of their offer, but according to the report, the Lakers would also likely have to include Julius Randle and additional salary considerations.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive responded to the report with a statement that Sacramento had "zero interest" in trading Cousins, but shortly afterwards Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that the Kings' head coach George Karl's  "intense desire" to trade Cousins is a driving force behind the rumors.

However, with Cousins locked into an increasingly affordable contract and unable to become a free agent until the summer of 2018, the Kings would appear to have very little incentive to trade the productive pivot man, unless they think Cousins is so fed up with the organization that a continued union is untenable at this point. Rumors will surely continue to swirl in the lead up to the 2015 NBA Draft Thursday night.