The Los Angeles Lakers may already have an heir-apparent to the shooting guard throne of the soon-to-be-retired Kobe Bryant squarely in their crosshairs: Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan.
According to a report by Zach Lowe of ESPN on Tuesday, the Lakers, along with several other teams are prepared to offer DeRozan, a Southern California native who played his college ball at USC, a max deal worth around $25 million a season:
DeRozan [is] a lock to decline his option and hit free agency this summer. A bunch of teams, including DeRozan’s hometown Lakers, are prepared to offer him a max deal starting at $25 million per season, and the Raptors know they will have to spend big to keep him.
It’s an offer that would be well-deserved, as DeRozan has been playing like one of the best two-guards in the league this season with averages of 22.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 4.1 assists per game.
While his relative lack of a three-point shot caps his ceiling, DeRozan has found success in Toronto playing next to a ball-dominant, floor-spacing guard in Kyle Lowry, making a potential backcourt pairing with rookie D’Angelo Russell highly palatable. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson is about to hit free agency as well and the Lakers are set to have cap space galore at their disposal. Couple that with the hometown selling point, and, of course, the impending exit of the Black Mamba, and DeRozan looks like a fantastic target for the Lakers as they move closer to the summer.
For what it’s worth, Lakers guard Lou Williams, who was teammates with DeRozan on the Raptors last season, seemed to entertain the idea of a Los Angeles reunion on Twitter Monday:
@TeamLou23 You recruiting Derozan for next year???
— LAKERS 8-31 (@JorgeMLanderos) January 12, 2016
? hmm https://t.co/lAw5GRr4RD
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) January 12, 2016
Still, the most likely scenario is that DeRozan re-ups with the Raptors. The team can offer a fifth year that no one else can and the highest dollar figure to boot. DeRozan has been vocal recently about his desire to play out his NBA time in Toronto, where he has spent his entire seven-year career thus far.
The Lakers may very well have the best chance of snagging the All-Star guard in the event that he does leave Toronto. But if they decide to put all their eggs in the DeRozan basket, they could be setting themselves up for yet another offseason disappointment.
