Report: Derrick Rose ‘more likely’ to make deal with Lakers than ever before

The Los Angeles Lakers may be looking to add some talent to their roster to strengthen their bid for back-to-back championships.

According to a recent report, one target for the Lakers could be former MVP Derrick Rose.

“I think both sides were reluctant when they went into in January, February,” one general manager told Heavy.com. “I don’t think the Lakers wanted to make a major move because they thought they could do something on the buyout market. And I don’t think the [Detroit] Pistons wanted to make a major move because Derrick was happy there. You know, the Lakers wanted to be involved in case the [Los Angeles] Clippers got involved or someone else, the Bucks or the Nuggets, whoever. So there was interest but not too serious. Now, everything has shifted a little. Now, they’re both in a position to where a deal is much more likely now.”

There was a lot of buzz circulating the Lakers and Rose prior to the trade deadline last season. In fact, the Lakers reportedly offered fan favorite Alex Caruso to the Detroit Pistons.

Ultimately, a deal did not get done.

It will be interesting to see what kind of package the Lakers would put together this offseason to get the former MVP in L.A.

Rose is nowhere near the dominant force he was prior to his multiple injuries, but he is still a valuable offensive weapon. Last season, Rose averaged 18.1 points and 5.6 assists per game and shot 49.0 percent from the field. He did all that while averaging just 26.0 minutes of playing time per game.

If the Lakers do end up acquiring Rose, there’s little doubt that they’d only improve their chances of winning the 2021 NBA title.