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Why the Los Angeles Lakers definitely aren’t signing DeMar DeRozan

By Jason Reed

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 26: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball against Russell Westbrook #4 of the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena on April 26, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 26: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball against Russell Westbrook #4 of the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena on April 26, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. The pay cut DeMar DeRozan would have to take is significant

The reports of DeRozan being willing to take a pay cut to play for the Lakers sounds great on paper, but when we really crunch the numbers, it becomes clear that he is not just taking a pay cut, he is essentially sacrificing his entire salary.

It is one thing to take a $15 million deal from the Lakers instead of a $25 million deal from someone else. Heck, I would not even rule out DeRozan wanting to take the mid-level exception for the Lakers, which would pay him somewhere between $9-10 million depending on where the cap lands.

That is not even that unrealistic. The problem is that he is not going to get that from the Lakers. To use the MLE to sign DeRozan the Lakers would have to stay under the tax apron, which is literally impossible this offseason, especially if they use the MLE.

The trio of LeBron, Westbrook and AD accounts for $120.75 million in salary-cap space. Add Marc Gasol and the $5 million still owed to Luol Deng (let’s assume they waive Alfonzo McKinnie) and the Lakers are at $128.4 million.

The tax apron is projected to be $136.6 million next season, although it can be slightly more or slightly less. The MLE alone would put the Lakers over the tax apron and that is before we consider the team potentially re-signing Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker plus all of the minimum contracts they would have to sign.

That is what DeRozan would have to sign. He would have to sign for the league minimum in order for this to even work for the Lakers. I get he is willing to take a pay cut, but nobody should buy into the idea of him taking a pay cut from $20+ million to $2.5 million.

Last I checked he was not on the ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ payroll.

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