The Golden State Warriors have fallen to 12th place in the Western Conference after a 101-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors, dropping out of the playoff qualification zone with a record of 19 wins and 20 losses, which is now below a 50% win rate. If Warrior fans are feeling particularly disheartened, they might find some solace in looking at their neighbors, the Lakers fans who have to wear masks when they go out due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The Lakers, who had a five-day break because of the fires, were expected to be well-rested but instead performed poorly, losing 102-126 to the San Antonio Spurs with a disastrous fourth quarter where they only scored 13 points while conceding 37. Not all Lakers players were underperforming, however; Anthony Davis stood out with an impressive performance, scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds (including 8 offensive rebounds) along with 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, although it wasn't enough to save the team from defeat. Despite their current struggles, the Lakers are still in a slightly better position than the Warriors, holding the 7th spot in the West with a record of 20 wins and 17 losses. However, they need to be cautious as they could easily slip out of the playoff qualification zone if they're not careful. It's clear that both these high-profile teams need to make changes to improve their current situations. What changes are needed? During the season, the best way to improve is often through recruitment. Both the Warriors and the Lakers currently lack a strong center, and their potential trade targets are also centers. Yes, the Warriors and the Lakers are fiercely competing for Nikola Vucevic. A two-time All-Star, Vucevic has averaged 20.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season, with a 42.9% three-point shooting accuracy, averaging 2.1 three-pointers per game, and earning 20millionannually.Importantly,theBullsmightagreetoatradeinvolvingonlysecond−rounddraftpicks,makinghimahighlycost−effectiveoption.IftheWarriorsandtheLakersarelookingforafreecenter,theycouldconsiderDeMarcusCousins,whorecentlyannouncedhissigningwiththeMongolianleagueteamSelengeBodons.However,ifthere′sachancetoreturntotheNBA,CousinswouldpackhisbagsandrushbacktotheUnitedStatesbyanymeansnecessary.DespitebeingawayfromtheNBAfornearlythreeyears,Cousinsisstillaformidableplayerat34yearsold.Hehasmaintainedgoodcompetitiveformbyplayinginvariousleaguesaroundtheworldinrecentyears.IfheweretojoineithertheWarriorsortheLakers,hecouldbecomeareliablerotationalbigman.CousinsbegantofadeoutoftheleagueinApril2022,startingwiththePuertoRicanleaguewhereheaveraged19points,9.8rebounds,4.3assists,1.3steals,and1.4blockspergame.Inthe2023−24season,hejoinedtheT1League′sYulonLuxgensinTaiwan,leadingtheteamtoachampionshipandearningtheFinalsMVPwithanaverageof25.3points,16.5rebounds,2assists,1.8steals,and1.8blockspergame.Lastsummer,CousinsbroughthistalentstoChina′sSuper3League,tryinghishandat3−on−3basketballforthefirsttimeandearningamonthlysalaryof350,000. Prior to that, he was earning 200,000permonthwiththeYulonLuxgens,plusa10,000 appearance fee per game. After the Super 3 League, Cousins signed a short-term contract with the Philippine team SGA before moving on to his current team in Mongolia. It's evident that in just a few years, Cousins has played for at least five different leagues, going wherever the money is, becoming a true mercenary. This change is closely related to his total earnings of only $94.2813 million over his 12-year NBA career, and now he's taking advantage of his remaining playing days to earn as much as possible. Some players don't even have the opportunity to earn money like Cousins, such as Dwight Howard, another former top center in the NBA. After leaving the NBA, Howard only played one year in Taiwan's T1 professional league and has since been either working short-term jobs or unemployed, even participating in dance competitions as a side business. What are your thoughts on the prospects of the Warriors and the Lakers this season? Feel free to share your opinions in the comment section!