The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked with a lot of good players in recent times, including Chris Paul and Serge Ibaka. The free agency is a couple of days away and teams are already planning their roster for the next season.
The Lakers have a big challenge this season, where they will defend their NBA championship against a league that will try everything to dethrone them. The front office is trying to do everything they can to boost their ranks and surround their two stars with the best talent.
New reports suggest the Lakers have set their sights on San Antonio Spurs shooting guard DeMar DeRozan to join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Southern California. DeRozan is one of the best players in his position and can easily be the third scoring option for the Lakers.
DeMar DeRozan could join the Lakers via trade
DeRozan was traded to the Spurs in 2018 in the blockbuster move that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. DeRozan didn’t have the same success in San Antonio that he had in Toronto. Contrary to Kawhi in Toronto, he struggled to lead the Spurs to be a competitive team in the Western Conference.
His departure from the Spurs can be closer than we think and now the Lakers could take DeRozan. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Spurs would receive Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma as part of the deal.
Jeff Duarte of Pounding the Rock predicted this deal a couple of days ago, explaining the benefits for both Lakers and Spurs.
“In a nutshell, the Spurs would send DeRozan to Los Angeles in exchange for Kyle Kuzma and Danny Green and a 2022 first-round draft pick. The Lakers take on DeRozan’s $27.7M and the Spurs pick up $18.9M between Kuzma and Green. Green’s contract expires at the end of next season, opening up cap space for the Spurs.
“The idea of having the twenty-five-year-old Kuzma join the current young Spurs line-up is intriguing. One concern is that the 2017 first-round draft pick becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next season and may want more than the Spurs can offer. That said, a starting line-up of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Rudy Gay, Kyle Kuzma, and Trey Lyles makes for possible the most fluid and position-less Spurs team to date.
“From the Lakers’ perspective, they get another solid piece in what is already a solid team ready to defend their 2020 title. Bringing DeMar home also adds a nice touch. LeBron is LeBron, but he is getting older. Anthony Davis is young but cannot lead a team and serve as the primary force on the court. DeRozan brings leadership, ball-handling, and yet another offensive player that must be covered, exposing The Brow to more opportunities to dominate in the paint.”
Green would reunite with the Spurs after leaving the team in the trade that sent Kawhi to Toronto. DeRozan would join the player that beat him repeatedly in the Eastern Conference, LeBron James, and see if they can win together next season.
The San Antonio Spurs have been rumored to be planning something big this offseason. Perhaps this is the beginning of something good for Gregg Popovich and co.