The Lakers are reportedly waiving DeMarcus Cousins and fans are shocked

The Lakers missed out on adding the guard they need when Darren Collision opted not to come out of retirement earlier this month, but it was reported on Friday that the Lakers are expected to add depth to its frontcourt and sign Markieff Morris, who agreed to a contract buyout from the Pistons.

With a full roster of 15 players, the Lakers would need to waive a player to make room for Morris should he clear waivers, and that player will be four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, according to a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

Cousins’ departure brings an end to what was primed to be one of the NBA’s most exciting experiments when it came together last summer. Cousins was limited in the 2018-19 season due to injuries, but the Lakers hoped that he could rediscover his All-NBA form alongside former Pelicans teammate Anthony Davis in LA. We never got to see Cousins take the floor with the Lakers, though, after he suffered a torn ACL last August.

The Lakers had no timetable for Cousins’ return, but had not ruled out a possible comeback in the playoffs this year. Coach Frank Vogel said during the All-Star break that Cousins was “on track” for a playoff return, but backtracked earlier this week, telling reporters that Cousins was “not close” to being ready.

(Warning: video contains explicit language)