Before the Los Angeles Lakers went out and traded for Russell Westbrook ahead of the 2021-22 season, DeMar DeRozan was a player high on their wish list.
Being an unrestricted free agent at that time, DeRozan, who is from Compton, California, was a player many thought would have interest in playing for Los Angeles.
While he may have had interest, cap space was a problem for the Lakers, as they could only offer the All-Star wing close to a minimum-like contract and nothing close to a max-contract-like deal.
Ultimately, DeRozan opted to sign a three year, near $82 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, a deal that keeps him under contract through the 2023-24 season.
In his first year with the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan was spectacular and took them to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. While it is possible that they could make the playoffs again this season, where do the Bulls really stand in the Eastern Conference?
Is this a team that truly has a chance to be special and contend for a title or are they nothing more than a team that has a chance to win a first-round playoff series?
As of right now, the Bulls are 9-13, they are currently outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture and their front office is evaluating all of their options with these questions coming up daily.
The idea of starting over and “blowing things up” is certainly an option on the table for Chicago ahead of the trade deadline, especially if they are unable to turn things around and find immediate success.
At 33-years-old and in the prime of his career, DeMar DeRozan is definitely an intriguing player to look at in regards to trade conversations and should Chicago show a level of interest in taking offers for the veteran, the Los Angeles Lakers could very much much be at the front of the line.
The Lakers’ front office has been very active on the trade market ever since the offseason and dealing nine-time All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook is still a possibility for them.
Maximizing LeBron James’ talent while they have him late in his career is the ultimate goal in Los Angeles right now and with Anthony Davis healthy and playing at a high level for once, now is the time for the Lakers to pull off a big move if they are able to do so.
Now, there is no momentum on a deal at this time in regards to DeRozan possibly going to Los Angeles, but this is certainly a key topic of discussion and is more of a storyline than a headline at this point given where both teams find themselves early on this season.
In fact, the Lakers have reportedly held “internal discussions” about the idea of not only trading for DeMar DeRozan, but also acquiring two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic.
On the latest episode of his podcast, The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Zach Lowe stated that this idea of the Lakers pursuing both DeRozan and Vucevic is real and something the team has talked about.
“The trade I saw on Twitter was Russ and both picks, one with light protections I think, for DeRozan and Vucevic,” Lowe said. “I can tell you 100 percent for sure the Lakers have had internal discussions about that very possibility if it would ever come up. Not that they [the Lakers] would do it, let me be clear. Just, you look around the league, like any responsible team would.”
The trade picks Lowe was referencing are the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, some of the only draft assets Los Angeles is able to deal at this time due to prior trades they have made.
The idea of pairing LeBron James and Anthony Davis with DeMar DeRozan should certainly be more appealing than what the team currently has and adding Nikola Vucevic would be a significant upgrade for them both talent-wise and in the frontcourt alongside Davis.
This hypothetical trade may cost the Lakers a ton of future assets, but they are in “championship mode” right now, which means they should be willing to make any move necessary in order to compete at the highest level.
Chicago has shown no willingness to discuss DeRozan or Vucevic in trade talks at this time and the Bulls still believe that they have one of the better rosters in the league at full strength. It is possible that they could hold off on tipping their hand and making any deals until they have a better idea of what Lonzo Ball’s long-term status is.
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