Getty Rob Pelinka, Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 02, 2024.
The Los Angeles Lakers quickly pivoted to DeMar DeRozan after missing out on Klay Thompson. However, talks between the two camps have stalled, according to Bleacher Report/TNT’s NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“I would consider it frozen,” Haynes said on #ThisLeague Uncut podcast on July 2. “Antarctica.”
It was a troubling development for the Lakers amid LeBron James‘ willingness to leave money on the table to help the team open up the non-taxpayer $12.9 million full midlevel exception.
Despite the shrinking market for DeRozan, the six-time NBA All-Star is still seeking more than the MLE, Haynes added.
“So a team is going to have to get really creative if they want to try to offer DeRozan something more than the midlevel exception,” Haynes said. “With a sign-and-trade, you get a three-year deal. I know DeRozan will probably be amenable to taking on a one-year deal. But I just don’t see him taking the full midlevel exception, which is that $13 million.”
DeMar DeRozan in LeBron James’ Wish List
DeRozan was the fourth player James would consider taking a paycut, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Now, LeBron and Rich Paul met with the Lakers on this topic last week and they agreed — from what I am told — on a short list of players that LeBron would feel good about taking less money to get on the Lakers,” Windhorst said on “The Hoop Collective” podcast on July 1. “I think there’s more than three [players].
“I think DeMar DeRozan is on that list as well, and there may be another one or so. But here’s the thing. … They don’t have those players to sign and to even get LeBron to take [less money]. Right now, it would take LeBron taking a 50% pay cut — five zero, about $25 million less — to get the Lakers in position to do that. Over the course of multiple years, that would potentially be a lot of money,” Windhorst said.
But with DeRozan unwilling to also accept a discount, the Lakers have to offload some salaries to come up with a better offer.
Lakers Face Familiar ‘Holdup’ in Sign-and-Trade
The Bulls are willing to help DeRozan get the long-term contract he covets via sign-and-trade. However, the Lakers are facing similar obstacles as they did in their foiled Thompson pursuit.
“Similar to the Thompson sign-and-trade discussions, one of the current holdups in a potential DeRozan deal is what the Bulls would be receiving from the Lakers, according to league sources,” Buha wrote on July 2.
DeRozan declined the Bulls’ two-year offer worth $40 million annually, according to NBC Sports-Chicago’s K.C. Johnson in April. His market has already shrunk with only the rebuilding Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz having the cap room to sign him outright to a larger deal than the MLE.
The 34-year-old DeRozan was the Bulls’ leading scorer last season, averaging 24.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 79 games. He finished second to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in the Clutch Player of the Year race. But if he is to join a contender, DeRozan would also have to accept a smaller role aside from a smaller salary.