The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off winning their 17th NBA Championship after missing the playoffs for the past 7 seasons. However, that doesn't mean that they're satisfied or done, as they're likely to be quite aggressive in the offseason to be even better.
The Lakers know that the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets will all be better next season, meaning there's no time to celebrate and that they also need to make a couple of moves.
And once again, Derrick Rose's name has been tied to a reunion with LeBron James at the Staples Center after the Lakers reportedly reached out to the Detroit Pistons last season to inquire about his availability.
NBA General Managers Says Derrick Rose Is Likely To Join The Lakers Next Season
According to an unnamed NBA General Manager in an interview with Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, the setting and moment are perfect right now for the Lakers to make a serious bid for the former MVP:
“I think both sides were reluctant when they went into in January, February. I don’t think the Lakers wanted to make a major move because they thought they could do something on the buyout market. And I don’t think the Pistons wanted to make a major move because Derrick was happy there," the GM said.
The executive said that the Lakers weren't 100% convinced of going all-in last year and only wanted to prevent Rose from joining one of their rivals. Now, however, they can actually afford to make that move:
"You know, the Lakers wanted to be involved in case the Clippers got involved or someone else, the Bucks or the Nuggets, whoever. So there was interest but not too serious. Now, everything has shifted a little. Now, they’re both in a position to where a deal is much more likely now," the executive concluded.
Rose is coming off an impressive year with averages of 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game on 49% shooting and he'd be a major upgrade for the Lakers coming off the bench. He's one of the most beloved and respected veterans around the league and it would be great to see him finally get a ring after an injury-riddled career.
