Despite plenty of speculation all season, the Lakers reportedly aren’t even interested in NBA free agent DeMar DeRozan
When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016 offseason and NBA free agency in particular, one of the names most frequently associated with the team has been that of young veteran guard DeMar DeRozan as he wraps up the final year of his deal with the Toronto Raptors and becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Much of the connection between DeRozan and the Lakers has been assumptive, though. Since the Lakers are set to have a multitude of room underneath the rising salary cap and need a star player while the 26-year-old guar hits the market and will likely demand a a max contract while also being a native of Compton, it seemed like a natural assumption to make. However, it’s apparently a wrong assumption in virtually every regard.
After the Raptors loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 that saw them bounced from the NBA Playoffs, DeRozan inferred that he was heavily leaning towards staying in Toronto rather than looking for a change of scenery this offseason. Apparently the guard isn’t the only one feeling that way about a potential deal between the Lakers and him.
While talking to Bleacher Report radio on Sunday afternoon, Kevin Ding said that the Lakers reportedly don’t actually have any interest in DeRozan and that pursuing him wouldn’t be a part of their offseason plans:
From @KevinDing with us @br_radio on #Lakers: “There’s a lot of presumption about Derozan and I’m told the Lakers aren’t that high on him"
— Noah Coslov (@NoahCoslov) May 29, 2016
Those fans who have been nervously looking at free agency in fear that the Lakers would sign DeRozan can now breathe easier.
Despite his name value and statistical production, DeRozan has always been a curious fit in theory on the Lakers roster. For a team in need of shooting and defense on the wing, adding a player like the 26-year-old whose jumper is suspect from the perimeter and whose defense is lacking far more often than it should be never made a ton of sense.
Next: Every Player Available in 2016 NBA Free Agency
Apparently that’s the way that the Lakers see it now, also. If these reports hold true throughout the summer, it’s be a shocker if DeRozan wound up in Los Angeles.