The Los Angeles Lakers had an entertaining offseason. They landed Russell Westbrook to create a Big 3 with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The 2017 MVP wasn’t the first option for the purple and gold, as they have different alternatives before turning their heads to Brodie.
DeMar DeRozan was one of the options the Lakers had besides Westbrook. They met with the former Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs player to work on a deal.
Talking with Shams Charania of The Athletic, DeRozan admitted he was close to joining the Lakers. Sadly, things fell apart, and both parties decided to take different routes.
“They were great, honestly. Tried to make it work, had plenty of conversations with Bron. Tried to make it work. It just didn’t work. You know how the business goes. One thing can just change the whole dynamic on everything.
But, it was a hell of an opportunity that we tried to make happen. Me bring from LA would’ve been crazy, but some things just don’t work out. It’s always great just to have the opportunity,” DeRozan told Charania.
New Bulls star DeMar DeRozan sits down with @Stadium: “I haven’t played with a talent at that wing position like Zach (LaVine). I want to put everything I’ve been through in my career, share that with him, win together.” Also: Lakers, disrespect in free agency, being more vocal. pic.twitter.com/3dWWSZY5PC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 8, 2021
DeMar dreamed of going back to L.A. to continue his career, but things didn’t work for him. Now he’s apart of the Chicago Bulls, creating a Big 4 with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball.
We can only imagine how fun it would have been to see DeRozan alongside LeBron and AD. He could have been the Lakers’ third scorer when Bron and Davis were out, but things will be different now.
