NBA
DeMar DeRozan wouldn’t say no to the Lakers
The 34-year-old has an offer to extend his contract with the Bulls, but his intention is to return to Los Angeles.
DeMar DeRozan was born in the city of Compton, California and played for the University of Southern California before beginning his NBA career. Being a native of Los Angeles, his desire is to play for the Lakers and hopes to have an opportunity when the next trade window opens in the summer before the start of the 2024/25 season.
DeRozan’s dream to play for his hometown team
According to NBC Sports, the Chicago Bulls offered DeRozan a contract extension for two more years in exchange for $80 million, but his intention is to opt for free agency. The 34-year-old was asked about his future during an appearance on the show Run It Back and made it very clear that his dream is to be able to play with the Lakers.
“Everyone knows that my favorite player is Kobe Bryant. I have always been a Lakers fan and you can’t say no if you have the opportunity to play in your own city and with a team as historic as the Lakers. In the end, time will tell, we will see where the cards fall,” DeRozan responded.
“We will see what happens. In the end I want to be where they want me and I know what I will do when that happens,” concluded the veteran shooting guard. His experience and talent can help a young team like the Lakers, leaving LeBron James and Anthony Davis aside. DeMar DeRozan comes from playing all 79 regular season games with the Bulls in which he averaged a total of 24 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
The Lakers have many decisions to make this offseason. The first will be to choose the next coach and then work on renewing the roster. The managers want to maintain the foundation of the team and bring in one or two more stars. That’s where the names of Donovan Mitchell and DeMar DeRozan come in.