The pandemonium of the NBA's free agency period officially started July 1 and the Lakers are expectedly into the thick of things. So far, reports are out that LaMarcus Aldridge will not be picking Hollywood this summer while Kevin Love will stay put in Ohio. Next in Mitch Kupchak's list is Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins, who is reportedly still being dangled because of his alleged rift with current Kings coach George Karl.

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The Lakers seems to be willing arbitrators to patch up Karl and Cousins' problems as the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Heisler reported that Kupchak is willing to send no. 2 selection D'Angelo Russell to Sacramento "tomorrow" if that is what it takes to get the prime center to join L.A.

However, it is not the Lakers opinion that is in question but Sacramento's.

Reportedly, the Kings, particularly team owner Vivek Ranadive, stands firm to keep their franchise player even if his head coach is adamant in saying that they do not see each other eye-to-eye. This is especially true considering the fact that the Lakers and Kings are basketball arch-rivals that go a long way back in history.

Reports last week surfaced that Sacramento was asking for Russell together with Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and other future picks, which is something the Lakers rejected.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk said that it is "not a deal the Lakers should do". For obvious reasons, it is too much of a risk to part ways with your entire future just to have a chance to acquire an "even-higher-maintenance-than-Dwight-Howard" center like Cousins, as Heisler labeled it.

But one-on-one, Russell for Cousins, then Kupchak may really change his mind.

Meanwhile, Fansided's Josh Hill wrote in his article that the Kings should not pass on the opportunity of getting the "best point guard in the draft" in exchange for unloading an internal discord.

The Lakers want Cousins and is willing to part ways with a potential superstar while the Kings are in danger of imploding on itself with a coach-star player standoff. If the deal pushes through, then it would only be a win-win situation for both franchises.

TagsNBA 2015, NBA news, NBA News 2015, NBA rumors, NBA Rumors 2015, NBA Trade Rumors, NBA trade rumors 2015, D'Angelo Russell, DeMarcus Cousins, Los Angeles Lakers, sacramento kings