Lakers still pursuing DeMar DeRozan after missing out on Klay Thompson trade

Now that the purple and gold franchise has lot the opportunity to trade Warriors legend Klay Thompson, and even former Philly guard Buddy Hield this week, they turn back to sign veteran DeMar DeRozan, as it has been confirmed that his time in Chicago has come to an end this summer. 

However, it seems that playing in Los Angeles has ceased to be seen as a preferred destination for NBA stars, especially if they hope to contend for the league title. Despite this, the Lakers still needs to bolster their lineup for next season if they hope to return to the franchise’s historic heights.

According to reports, the L.A. club is looking for a shooter or another high-end scorer who can complement LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Anthony Davis’ offensive efforts. At this point, it seems the former Bulls guard is the free agent they need.

BREAKING: The Lakers are reportedly “closing in” on a deal to acquire 6 time NBA All Star Demar Derozan, per @wojespn

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DeRozan, who is a Los Angeles native and USC product, recently averaged 24 points per match this past campaign in the Windy City. The six-time All-Star can still provide big numbers for any NBA club, and this is precisely why the Lakers aren’t the only team interested in his services.

According to general manager Rob Pelinka, the club plans to stay aggressive on updating the roster despite losing to potential suitors in the past week. “I think we’re gonna always be aggressive to try to make roster upgrades and will be relentless to continue to look at what we can do,” he told The Athletic.

“This is the season of being mindful of all the different things we can approach to improve the roster. So we’re in the midst of that as we speak,” Pelinka added.“That will continue in the coming days, and it often spills into Vegas, where all the GMs meet and gather, and other deals get done. But we’ll stay aggressive.”

The 34-year-old is also being tracked by the Heat, Kings, and Bucks, but it still seems a long shot as many dominoes need to fall into place in order for those destinations to make sense for him.

DeRozan currently has many options to chose from, as Miami, Sacramento and Los Angeles all seem to be viable destinations for the veteran guard

According to the Miami Herald, DeMar has already met with the Heat and discussed the possibilities or wearing the red jersey next season, as there appears to be a mutual interest between both sides. However, there are some complications that might put off the veteran’s negotiations.

In order to pull off this trade, the Florida club would have to trade off a player with a big salary to another club with cap space and make room for DeRozan. Popular rapper Ma$e, for example, doesn’t believe Miami is a good fit for the star guard.

“I think it’ll just be another three though. They already got enough threes… It’s like you are loading up the same position. They need fours. They need another type of player,” he said on the It Is What It Is podcast this week.

The artist then told his co-hosts what he believes are the ideal scenarios for the 34-year-old. “If DeMar DeRozan can get to Milwaukee, that will be the best situation. Or if Bruce Brown can make his way back to Denver that will be the best situation. Anybody get to Denver, it’s the best situation,” he claimed.