DeMar DeRozan: Pass
All right, this is a long shot, both for the player and the team, but we take a look at it anyway.
DeMar DeRozan is unhappy in San Antonio. Leaving the Toronto Raptors, the franchise he was grown with, was not his choice and the trade was tough for him. He has not been having his best time with the Spurs and the team has failed to perform too, missing the playoffs for the first time in 22 years.
According to reports from The Athletic, DeRozan would allegedly want out of San Antonio, so bad is the situation for him. The Californian wing has a player option for the next season and he could decide to opt-out and become a free agent. But would he really do it? The final year of his contract will pay him $27 million.
He should leave that kind of money on the table to enter a market heavily damage by the pandemic, which no way would provide him with such an amount of money. Even under normal conditions, no team would offer him those figures anymore.
Furthermore, DeRozan immediately denied the allegation. That does not mean he is happy in Texas and wants to remain there, but what was he supposed to do? The most logical and likely option for him is to opt-in and play out the rest of his contract. He will take the money and in a year will be a free agent anyway, deciding his next destination.
On the Lakers’ side, an All-Star talent on the market would be an intriguing option, but could they pay him enough? Sure, DeRozan is a Californian who would love to play for his county’s team, but he should be willing to accept a big pay cut compared to his 202/21 option.
He might not have the value he used to have when the Raptors signed him to the current contract anymore, but he should deserve more money than what LA could offer.
More important, despite his All-Star talent, he would not be a good fit in Los Angeles. A ball-dominant wing with no three-point shot and a wide mid-range game is not what the Lakers are looking for. It would definitely not work next to AD and LBJ.
All in all, not a good option. We are glad this scenario will never come to fruition anyway.