DeRozan Cannot Forget Potential Lakers Deal But Signing With Bulls Paying Off

DeMar DeRozan surprised many with his performance last NBA season with the Chicago Bulls. He stood out and in the eyes of some, this may have not happened had he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Regardless, it appears the five-time All-Star will continue to remember how he was passed up in favor of Russell Westbrook.

Speaking to JJ Reddick on the “Old Man’s and the Three” podcast, the 33-year-old swingman shared how he thought he was going to sign with the purple and gold coming from vacation.

“To my knowledge, I thought it was a done deal.” DeMar DeRozan really thought he was going to be a Laker,” DeRozan said.

The 6-foot-6 swingman only found out that the potential signing was off through his friend, Kyle Lowry. It was the 36-year-old guard who informed him that the Lakers signed and decided to sign the former NBA MVP.

This made it impossible for the Lakers to sign DeRozan, the reason why he ended up joining the Chicago Bulls instead.

It turned out to be a blessing for him and the Bulls, making it to the NBA playoffs. On the other hand, the Lakers failed to go beyond the regular season and left the team in turmoil.

DeRozan had an incredible year, averaging 27.9 points, something he was never able to do before. Had he gone to the Lakers, the former USC Trojan may have gotten lower numbers considering he had to play behind the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

But assuming he did sign with the Lakers, pundits feel that he may have struggled in helping the team. While he is a scorer, it would be hard to see his efficiency with a talent-laden squad last season.

Scoring help would have been addressed had DeRozan signed with Los Angeles. But as most know, the Lakers had more woes to worry about and it remains to be seen if the purple and gold have gone beyond those issues this 2022-23 NBA season.