What the Los Angeles Lakers could have looked like with DeMar DeRozan

What the Los Angeles Lakers would have looked like after a DeMar DeRozan trade:

Some of the depth of the team still would have been suspect but we cannot completely change who the team wanted to sign. What we can do is leave certain players (like Kent Bazemore) out as the Lakers would have other perimeter players to take his place.

Frank Vogel might throw out a weird starting five that is not the best version of the team. AD doesn’t seem to like playing much center and Vogel really seems to like Avery Bradley, so there is weird possibilities with Howard and Bradley in the starting five.

However, the Lakers would have a lot of versatility with the closing lineup depending on the situation. For instance, if the Lakers wanted to go with a defensive unit in crunch time then they could field the following:

• PG: Alex Caruso
• SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• SF: DeMar DeRozan
• PF: LeBron James
• C: Anthony Davis 

That is a really good defensive group. Yes, it is similar to what the Lakers had in 2020 but with DeMar DeRozan but as the old saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. If the Lakers wanted to add some shooting to the closing lineup they could swap out one of KCP or Caruso for Malik Monk or Carmelo Anthony.

DeRozan works much better next to AD and LeBron than Westbrook ever will and there is so much more cohesion with Caruso and KCP still on the roster. The Lakers won that title because they had the best duo in the league with solid two-way perimeter players around them.

This adds another playmaker and third star in DeMar DeRozan who not only fits better but gives the Lakers much more versatile to make future moves. In an alternate universe somewhere, the Lakers are 40-10 with this roster.