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As the Los Angeles Lakers pivot to DeMar DeRozan after their failed attempt to land five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson, they may need a third team, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
“For the Lakers to bring on DeRozan, Los Angeles may have to work with a third team to offload some salary, such as D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent, sources said. The Nets have been open to welcoming Russell back to Barclays Center since this past trade deadline, sources said,” Fischer wrote on July 1.
Russell opted into his $18.7 million player option while Vincent has two more years left on his three-year, $33 million contract.
DeRozan was looking to return to Chicago until the Bulls made a move to get younger. Sensing a rebuild is forthcoming, DeRozan is no longer keen on staying in Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley,
“A source told the Sun-Times late Sunday night that the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade was the final straw in DeRozan’s mind for any sort of return, as the 34-year-old will now use his free agency to shop elsewhere,” Cowley wrote on July 1.
Russell, on the other hand, made his lone All-Star berth with the Nets in 2019. A former second-overall pick by the Lakers in 2015, he returned to the franchise via the Russell Westbrook trade last year.
His second go-round with the Lakers, however, has been a roller-coaster so far.
Russell was benched in their 2023 playoffs loss to the eventual champion against the Denver Nuggets and in the early parts of last season. He regained his starting job in January and then took off. But despite shooting a career-high 41.5% from the 3-point distance, his lack of defense continued to make him a weak link in the postseason.
DeMar DeRozan Homecoming?
According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, the Lakers have been in communication with DeRozan’s agent.
“It will either take a one-year deal or a sign-and-trade where you can get a three-year deal going,” he said in a clip tweeted by NBA Central.
A six-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Second Team, DeRozan is still one of the best clutch players in the game even at 34. Last season, DeRozan averaged 24.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 79 games for the Bulls. He barely lost to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry for the Clutch Player of the Year award.
He would be a solid pickup for the Lakers if they can find a way to bring him home.
The Southern California native, who starred at USC, is open to playing for his hometown team.
“You can’t never say no about playing home. … Time will tell. We’ll see where the cards fall,” DeRozan said.
Warriors Nix Klay Thompson Deal with Lakers
Thompson would have earned more money with the Lakers than with the Dallas Mavericks.
However, the Warriors rejected the Lakers’ sign-and-trade offer that would have swapped Russell for Thompson, according to Haynes.
“I was told the Lakers made a pretty compelling offer. It was around a three to four-year mark, around the lines of $20 million per,” Haynes said in a Bleacher Report livestream. “They didn’t get their guy.
It was going to take a sign-and-trade scenario and had nothing to do with LeBron James taking less. It was going to take a sign-and-trade to get Klay and it did not happen,” Haynes said. “The scenario likely involved D’Angelo Russell. The Warriors were not interested in bringing back D’Angelo Russell. That wasn’t feasible for the Warriors.”
In the end, Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Warriors received two future second-round picks in the process.
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