In the light of the recent Achilles injury of DeMarcus Cousins, the focus of the Lakers during the free agency period will shift. We examine why.

In a rough 82-game season, it is a shame that injuries happen, especially when they affect superstar players like DeMarcus Cousins, who suffered a torn Achilles last night. Lakers' fans can empathize. If you recall, Kobe Bryant suffered a torn Achilles in 2013, which wasn't a pleasant sight. We wish Boogie a speedy recovery. May he return better and stronger.

With that being said, it is no secret the Lakers had DeMarcus Cousins on their radar -- rumors were suggesting that the Lakers might swing a trade for him before the trade deadline. But with the injury, everything changes. The Lakers will not trade for him now, and they may not go after him in free agency at this point. Cousins could be lucky to get a long-term max contract this offseason, especially with the way centers recover from injuries like these (for example, Anderson Varejao, Elton Brand, and Mehmet Okur also suffered torn Achilles tendons, and they had difficulty continuing their careers afterward). It could be a big gamble for whoever would take a risk on him, but it is a high-risk, high-reward situation.

If Cousins is the latest marquee free agent the Lakers cross off of their list this summer, their options for a quality center shrinks, too. DeAndre Jordan, Enes Kanter, and Derrick Favors are all interesting options for the Lakers now, but they don't provide the same quality that Cousins offers. Brook Lopez could also be an option. Although he will be a free agent this summer, the Lakers could exercise Lopez's Bird rights, meaning they can go over the cap if they sign him. Throughout the season, it was becoming increasingly likely that Brook Lopez would not be resigning, as shown by his stats and minutes both diminishing. But now the Lakers may be more open to resigning him.

At the moment, the Lakers have $55 million to spend for free agency. Their initial plan was to trade both Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, which would allow the team to sign two max players this offseason, instead of just one. But now that Cousins has gone down, will the Lakers still be as aggressive in trading their young core to sign a player who isn't the quality of a DeMarcus Cousins, or a Paul George, or a LeBron James? Will they disrupt the progress and the balance of this team to get a star just so they can spend their cap space?

If the Lakers are smart, they would look to sign a superstar in George or James, then sign Julius Randle to a qualifying offer, and then get a center with whatever is left over (be it Lopez, DeAndre, or another comparable center). They may opt to spend for one superstar this offseason and then add another in the 2019 free agency period.

With so many decisions to make, Cousins's injury has made one of those decisions harder. It is up to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to execute their plan for the Lakers. So, it will be interesting to see what the Lakers front office does moving forward.