The Los Angeles Lakers have officially closed the door on one of the biggest names remaining in free agency.
Hours after the Sacramento Kings waived six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported Monday night that Los Angeles is not considered a potential landing spot for the veteran scorer despite previous dialogue between the two sides.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are not considered to be a potential landing spot for veteran guard DeMar DeRozan after he was released by Sacramento on Monday, multiple league sources told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote on X.
He added that DeRozan and the Lakers had discussions in the past, “notably in 2021.”
The update serves as the clearest indication yet that Lakers president Rob Pelinka has fully committed to building around Luka Dončić rather than adding another aging star.
Another NBA Insider Confirms Lakers’ Direction
McMenamin’s report arrived only hours after NBA insider Jake Fischer reached the same conclusion.
Speaking during a Bleacher Report livestream, Fischer said the Lakers have spent the offseason targeting players who better fit Dončić’s timeline rather than pursuing a 37-year-old scorer like DeRozan.
“Haven’t heard that, and honestly, the Lakers have been so focused on getting players more on Luka Dončić, his timeline,” Fischer said when asked about Lakers’ interest in DeRozan.
“I’d be really surprised if they wanted to bring on a 37-year-old DeMar DeRozan, who is not the typical 3-and-D wing player that you would want to put next to Luka Dončić.”
Fischer also reiterated that restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga remains Los Angeles’ preferred wing target.
With McMenamin now reporting that the Lakers are not considered a destination for DeRozan, two well-connected NBA insiders have independently reached the same conclusion.
Pelinka’s Youth Movement Is Impossible to Ignore
Getty Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan backs down Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during an NBA game.
The Lakers’ offseason moves reveal a clear organizational philosophy.
Rather than extending the championship window around aging veterans, Pelinka has reshaped the roster to align with Dončić and Austin Reaves entering their primes.
Los Angeles has moved on from LeBron James (41), Marcus Smart (32), Luke Kennard (30) and Rui Hachimura (28).
In their place, the Lakers have added Walker Kessler (24), Quentin Grimes (26), Collin Sexton (27) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (27).
Each addition reflects the same priorities: youth, athleticism, defensive versatility and players capable of growing alongside Dončić for years rather than serving as short-term fixes.
The shift represents one of the franchise’s most dramatic roster pivots in recent memory.
Why DeRozan No Longer Fits
On talent alone, DeRozan could still help plenty of contenders.
The six-time All-Star averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 49.7% from the field across 77 games last season before a hamstring injury ended his campaign.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that multiple contenders are expected to pursue DeRozan after he and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways.
The Lakers, however, no longer appear to be one of them.
Beyond his age—DeRozan turns 37 next month—his skill set doesn’t align with what Los Angeles has prioritized throughout the summer.
The Lakers have sought more athletic, defense-first players capable of complementing Dončić without requiring the offense to run through them.
DeRozan remains one of the NBA’s premier midrange scorers and isolation creators, but he is not the type of two-way wing Pelinka has targeted during this roster overhaul.
The Lakers’ interest in DeRozan once felt inevitable.
Back in 2021, he was among the franchise’s top offseason targets before ultimately joining the Chicago Bulls.
Five years later, the circumstances have changed dramatically.
With Dončić now leading the franchise and Pelinka constructing a younger supporting cast around him and Reaves, Los Angeles has made its direction unmistakably clear.
The Lakers aren’t simply turning the page from the LeBron James era.
They’re building an entirely different team.
Lakers Make DeMar DeRozan Decision Amid Free Agency Buzz