Growing up in Compton, DeMar DeRozan has always dreamt about playing for the Lakers and he was heavily linked to the franchise over the summer.
Although the feeling wasn’t mutual apparently.
DeMar was interested in exploring a deal in the off-season since he hit the free agency market, but the Lakers or Clippers didn’t reciprocate his enthusiasm, The Athletic recently revealed.
“Yeah, you just learn how to deal with it from a business standpoint,’ DeRozan said. “Obviously I have my selfish reasons of wanting to be able to play at home, (but) sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. And sometimes it probably isn’t the best decision for me either. So after that didn’t happen, I didn’t dwell on it. I wasn’t mad. They made their choice, and I just left it at that.”
LeBron James and Anthony Davis were reportedly pretty keen to team up with the veteran forward, with Brian Windhorst reporting that LeBron was even willing to take a paycut to get DeRozan.
But, since DeMar has been close to joining the Lakers before, he didn’t get his hopes up.
“Yeah. Yeah, it did [seems like it’s going to happen],” DeRozan told Amick. “But after the last time, the last situation, you really don’t get your hopes all the way up. I think the first time before I went to Chicago (in 2021), that was the closest it had been. And even for me, I thought it was going to be that. But when that didn’t happen, I didn’t have high hopes because you already see how it could play out.”
LA were going to sign DeRozan back in 2021, but decided to trade for Russell Westbrook instead, which definitely didn’t work out well for the purple and gold.
DeRozan chose to sign with the Kings for the 2024-25 season, which certainly bolsters the team’s offense. He will fit in well alongside De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
READ MORE: Why DeMar DeRozan Chose Sacramento Over LA, Miami, Philly