The Los Angeles Lakers will have to get creative in free agency. They have the assets to make a trade, but other moves could happen to better the roster, too. In a “pipe dream” scenario, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report named DeMar DeRozan the Lakers “dream” offseason target.
“This is quite a pipe dream, especially since DeMar DeRozan could make eight times as much money by returning to the Chicago Bulls next season,” Swartz wrote on May 30. “Still, DeRozan himself hasn’t ruled out signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were his favorite team while he grew up in Compton, California.
“For a player who’s made over a quarter-billion dollars in his NBA career (not counting endorsements), taking the Lakers’ $5.2 million taxpayer MLE and joining LeBron James (a potential free agent himself), Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and others on a Lakers team packed with talent may be appealing for DeRozan.”
DeMar DeRozan Spoke About Considering Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers
DeRozan taking the taxpayer MLE seems unlikely in most scenarios. However, he could want to take the opportunity to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He’s also from Compton, California, which would allow him to return close to home.
Appearing on “Rut It Back on FanDuel TV,” DeRozan spoke about if he’d ever consider playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“You can’t never say no about playing home…Time will tell, we’ll see where the cards fall.”
