Things have been very quiet for the Los Angeles Lakers ever since free agency officially began across the NBA on June 30. They haven’t added any players from other teams to their roster through either free agency or a trade, which has deeply disappointed many fans.
Some fans held out hope that perhaps the Lakers could attract DeMar DeRozan, a veteran forward who has been an amazingly consistent scorer and playmaker for the past decade. A week ago, there was a report that the team did communicate with DeRozan’s agent, but DeRozan ultimately chose to go to the Sacramento Kings.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers never made an actual offer for DeRozan and only expressed “simple interest” in the Los Angeles-area native.
“It was really down to the Kings and Heat as far as DeMar DeRozan’s new home … I’m told the Lakers never went beyond expressing simple interest in DeRozan.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania gives us the latest on DeMar DeRozan. pic.twitter.com/F7OUBNMx0Y
— The Rally (@TheRally) July 8, 2024
DeRozan is coming off a season in which he averaged 24.0 points and 5.3 assists a game for the Chicago Bulls. He would’ve given L.A. a legitimate third scoring option, especially in crunch time, as well as another legitimate playmaker alongside LeBron James.
Instead, the six-time All-Star will likely take a young and very potent Kings team to the next level as a playoff threat.