Getty Klay Thompson #11 formerly of the Golden State Warriors looks to pass out of a double team from Taurean Prince #12 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing the same issue that kept them from landing Klay Thompson in their pursuit of six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
“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. Like Thompson, DeRozan is seeking a long-term deal.
While LeBron James is willing to take less than the three-year, $162 million max deal he is eligible for to open up the Lakers’ $12.9 million full midlevel exception, it does not appear enough to land DeRozan, hence the sign-and-trade route they are exploring.
The Lakers have been in communication with DeRozan’s agent, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report reported on July 1.
“It will either take a one-year deal or a sign-and-trade where you can get a three-year deal going,” Haynes said in a clip tweeted by NBA Central.
The 34-year-old DeRozan averaged 24.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 79 games for the Bulls last season. He finished second to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in the Clutch Player of the Year race. But while DeRozan is one of the elite shotmakers, his fit with the Lakers is suspect, according to Buha.
“DeRozan is a subpar 3-point shooter and defender, two skills the Lakers need desperately around James and Davis. He hasn’t attempted more than three 3s per game since the 2017-18 season. He’s never shot above league average from deep, and he’s only shot above 30 percent in six of 15 seasons,” Buha wrote.
DeMar DeRozan as Sixth Man?
Buha suggested that DeRozan, 34, could come off the bench for the Lakers if they successfully acquired him.
“If anything, DeRozan would make the most sense in a bench role, though it’s unclear if he would accept such a role and if the Lakers would even want that considering the potential hoops they’ll have to jump through to acquire him. At a minimum, DeRozan would have to adjust to playing off the ball more than he ever has in his career, including shooting more 3s and finding ways to be more effective as a screener and cutter,” Buha wrote.
A Southern California native, DeRozan is open to a homecoming.
“You can’t never say no about playing home. … Time will tell. We’ll see where the cards fall,” DeRozan said on “Run It Back” on May 15.
But the question remains: Is he the best fit for the Lakers?
According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, “DeRozan isn’t a perfect fit in any system.”
Lakers’ Other Option
Aside from DeRozan, the Lakers have also talked with the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant, according to Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin.
Grant is a better fit on the current Lakers roster than DeRozan based on his skillset and size.
But there is also a remote possibility the Lakers can get both Grant and DeRozan, provided DeRozan takes a discount.
According to salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan, the Lakers can trade for Grant and at the same time use their $12.9 million full midlevel exception if James follows through on his word of taking a paycut to add another impact free agent such as DeRozan.