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Did failing to land Cousins lead to Lakers' front-office shuffle?

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

A changing of the guard was visible on the horizon for quite some time in Los Angeles, but Sunday night may have dealt the final blow to now-former general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss.

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly approached the Sacramento Kings about trading for DeMarcus Cousins, but apparently couldn't strike a deal this weekend because the Lakers wouldn't give up Brandon Ingram.

Chasing Cousins was Buss and Kupchak's last-ditch attempt to save their jobs, sources told Sam Amick of USA Today. Co-owner Jeanie Buss was already frustrated by her brother's inability to attract star players and believed Cousins could work in Sacramento.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports something similar, noting that failing to lure Cousins played a role in the timing of the Lakers' shuffling.

In the end, the New Orleans Pelicans swooped in for Cousins. One day later, Magic Johnson was ushered in as president of basketball operations, Kupchak was gone, and Jim lost his role. That probably wasn't a coincidence.

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