NBA Trade Rumors: The Los Angeles Lakers may be open to making a blockbuster trade for DeMar DeRozan at the trade deadline.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been a huge talking point since the start of the season. And it really hasn’t been due to anything positive. The Lakers have struggled from the opening tip and it’s clear that if they’re going to turn their season around, it will likely require a roster-shifting trade before the deadline.
Of course, that’s going to be a lot easier said than done. But the Lakers are going to try their hardest to make a move that would change the trajectory of their season.
And according to one report, one option that the Lakers have internally discussed is a blockbuster move for DeMar DeRozan. This trade idea is a complicated one and would need the Chicago Bulls to get to a place where they’d be open to selling on the season but interesting nonetheless.
DeMar DeRozan would make sense for the Los Angeles Lakers
It should not be a surprise that the Lakers would be interested in a player like DeRozan. He kind of fits the bill of what the Lakers should be searching for. He fills the need as an efficient scorer. He knows his game and at this point in his career, you know what you’re going to get from him.
He won’t solve the team’s shooting issues but he can help carry some of the offensive load on nights when Anthony Davis and LeBron James either don’t have it or aren’t active.
This move would also solve the Westbrook issue (if the Lakers still believe it’s a problem) and open a two-year title window for the Lakers. Assuming that this move would work, DeRozan has one more year (after this season) on his contract and it effectively lines up with LeBron’s deal.
The big question is whether or not the Lakers would be willing to burn one or both of their future first-round picks on DeRozan and a filler.
This move alone doesn’t guarantee that the Lakers would vault to contender status and that’s something the Lakers have to be sure about if they aren’t throwing in two huge assets (their first-round picks).
The Lakers are widely expected to make a move at some point over the next few weeks. Will it be for DeRozan? Could it be? Maybe, but a lot has to fall into place for this to work.