Getty Soon-to-be free agent DeMar DeRozan.
Despite having a disappointing season, the Los Angeles Lakers remain a desirable location for agents. The team is likely to try and land a big name this offseason but they can’t just rely on their brand. They don’t have a ton of money to spend and any star that comes will have to play third fiddle to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
That will limit how many players will have a real interest in the Lakers. One player who might be willing to make some sacrifices is DeMar DeRozan. He’s from Los Angeles and grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant. He also hasn’t won a championship. Perhaps that will all be enough to convince him to take a pay cut and join the Lakers.
However, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes that DeRozan is better off elsewhere:
Even if DeRozan can adequately float no-LeBron units, he’d still have to grapple with minimum breathing room in starter-heavy arrangements that, based off how the past two seasons have played out, will include Anthony Davis alongside another big. Unless the Lakers noticeably change up the supporting cast, he should seek out a destination better suited to maximizing his offensive armory.
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DeRozan Not Best the Fit With Lakers
DeRozan is one of the better shooting guards in the NBA and a really strong scorer. He’s averaged 20.1 points a game over his career. Considering the Lakers need scoring help, he’ll likely be a player they take a look at. That said, he’s not the most seamless with the team.
DeRozan is a career 28.1% career 3-point shooter. He’s also only shooting 1.5 a game. That was fine a decade ago but guards are expected to sink threes in the current NBA. He doesn’t seem all that interested in adding that tool to his game. That doesn’t help the Lakers’ biggest issue, which is 3-point shooting. DeRozan is a very good player and if options are limited, Los Angeles could very well try to add him, but it’s not the best fit on the market.
DeRozan’s Former Teammate a Better Fit
There was a brief moment years back when Kyle Lowry and DeRozan helped make the Toronto Raptors one of the NBA’s best teams. If it wasn’t for LeBron James, that squad could’ve won a championship. Lowry has become synonymous with the Raptors over the years but he’s likely to move on this offseason.
The Lakers showed interest in him at the trade deadline but couldn’t pull off a deal. He’s now a free agent and Los Angeles could make another run at him. He’d be a better fit with the team than DeRozan. Lowry is one of the best point guards in the NBA and would take a lot of pressure off of LeBron. He’s also a solid shooter. He made 39.6% of his threes last season. The biggest concern is his age. Lowry is 35-years-old but didn’t appear to slow down much last season. He’s likely got a couple of strong years left in the tank.
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Analyst Pleads With 4-Time All-Star to ‘Avoid’ the Lakers