Getty Lakers star LeBron James
The Los Angeles Lakers were a walking disaster in 2021-22, and Russell Westbrook, the team’s highest-paid player, was the poster boy for their failures.
Westbrook was a poor fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but one player who could have meshed well with them is DeMar DeRozan, whom James wanted on the team, according to talk show host Cari Champion.
“I ran into LeBron at an event, and he goes, ‘Well, I was trying to get DeMar…,” Champion said on the June 13 episode of “Naked With Cari Champion.”
The Lakers didn’t make a good impression on DeRozan when he took part in meetings at James’ house last summer, according to a September 2021 report by The Athletic. In that report, Bill Oram, Shams Charania and Sam Amick noted “a perceived disconnect between the Lakers stars and the front office.”
Champion elaborated on the Lakers-DeRozan meetings from her perspective to her guest on the show, Wosney Lambre of The Ringer.
“Now, you know the story was: DeMar DeRozan could’ve been a Laker,” Champion, a former ESPN personality, said. “Now, DeMar and I are friends. I remember specifically he meeting with LeBron, but he was saying Rob [Pelinka, Lakers general manager] wasn’t trying to give him the years. He wanted the years. LeBron wanted [DeRozan]. They wouldn’t give [the years] to him. He was still under the impression that he was going to be a Laker, and then they signed Russell Westbrook.”
Cari Champion: “I ran into LeBron at an event and he goes: Well… I was tryna get Demar.”
We can’t have one day of peace.
DeRozan Felt Lakers Were in ‘Disarray’ During Free-Agent Visit
DeRozan, who grew up a Lakers fan in the LA area, wanted to play for the franchise. However, he felt the Lakers “didn’t really have a vision” and were in “disarray” during his free-agent visit last summer, Ohm Youngmisuk said during an April appearance on ESPN’s “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast.
“I felt like going to the Lakers was a done deal and that we were going to figure it out. I was going to come home,” DeRozan told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports in November. “The business side of things just didn’t work out. A couple of things didn’t align. It didn’t work out. It’s just part of the business, part of the game. My next option was definitely Chicago. So, looking back at it, it worked out well.”
DeRozan averaged 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 2021-22 while shooting 50.4% from the field, 35.2% from beyond the arc and 87.7% from the free-throw line. He could have linked better with James and Davis than Westbrook did since his effective field goal percentage of 52.1% was 77th in the NBA.
Westbrook, meanwhile, finished second in the NBA in turnovers and his effective field goal percentage of 47.6% was sixth-worst in the league. The 2016-17 MVP made $44.2 million while shooting 44.4% from the field and 29.8% from beyond the arc.
Lakers Operating as If Westbrook Will Be on Roster Next Season
According to a June 13 story by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, “sources close to the team, along with several competing executives, believe the Lakers are operating as if Westbrook will be on the roster to start next season.” Westbrook has a player option worth $47.1 million and he’s expected to pick it up.
Per Marc Stein of Substack, teams are asking the Lakers to give up additional assets to trade Westbrook, but the purple and gold have no interest in doing that.
“The Lakers are tuning out the skeptics yet again and insisting to anyone who will listen that they would rather keep Russell Westbrook on the roster for next season than surrender additional assets to convince someone to trade for him,” Stein reported on May 29. “The Lakers are also said to be adamant that they won’t release the former MVP and eat his $47.1 million player option for next season after Westbrook picks it up.”
Westbrook’s attendance at new head coach Darvin Ham’s introductory press conference seems like a pretty strong sign he’ll be on the Lakers next season.