Lakers Granted Disabled Player Exception After DeMarcus Cousins' Season-Ending ACL Tear

DeMarcus Cousins looked like an exciting signing at a genuine bargain for the Los Angeles Lakers, but ambitions in La La Land were quickly squandered when it was revealed that the four-time All-Star tore his ACL during a summer workout in Las Vegas, ending his season before it even started.

Though the Lakers would much rather Boogie be on the court in 2019, the NBA has opted to compensate the franchise for their devastating blow.

Per league insider Shams Charania, the Association has gifted LA a disabled player exception worth just under $2 million that will expire in March of 2020.

The Lakers have been granted a disabled player exception worth $1.75M from the NBA for the expected season-ending ACL injury to DeMarcus Cousins, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. It expires on March 10, 2020.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 19, 2019

League rules state that teams are only able to apply for the disabled player exception when they believe that a player will be declared out through June 15 of the following year.

With a torn ACL, the earliest that Cousins would be able to return is May, assuming the Lakers are playing that deep into the campaign.

NBA grants Lakers $1.75M for disabled player exception after DeMarcus Cousins’ season-ending ACL injury, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/upAdlutU0A
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) September 19, 2019

Since it was approved, the Lakers are now permitted to sign a player for half the amount of DeMarcus' salary. Since the Kentucky product signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract, the disabled player exception was set at $1.75 million.

It's an impressively complicated regulation, but perhaps now Los Angeles can begin to cope with the fact that they will play without one of the league's most imposing forces in 2019.