DeMar DeRozan was heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers this past offseason. He even had conversations with Lakers superstar LeBron James about trying to “make it work.”
DeRozan ultimately wound up with the Chicago Bulls, and he made an interesting admission in a recent interview with Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green.
“Yeah, I mean, it was, it was a real possibility,” DeRozan said about playing in Los Angeles. “I mean, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say I wanted to come home, you know? I did try to make it happen. There’s a real possibility on it happening. You know, just things didn’t work out, you know what I mean?”
The Lakers’ trade for Russell Westbrook in the offseason reportedly eliminated any possibility of DeRozan joining the team.
It certainly would have been interesting to see DeRozan on a Lakers team that is trying to win its second NBA title in a span of three seasons.
The 32-year-old spent the past three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs after being traded there from the Toronto Raptors in a deal that was centered around Kawhi Leonard. DeRozan is a four-time All-Star and holds career averages of 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
The Lakers and Bulls will face off two times this season, with the first matchup taking place in Los Angeles on Nov. 15.
