Weeks before winning the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the danger of getting eliminated by the Toronto Raptors. In the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin almost lost their chance to face the Golden State Warriors and make history as Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan led the Canada team to stunning wins. While the Toronto Raptors failed to topple King James, the playoffs series attracted the attention of NBA teams. To be more specific, the performance of DeMar DeRozan appears to have raised his worth in free agency.
Reports are surfacing that a number of NBA teams, such as the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and even the Golden State Warriors, are interested in signing DeMar DeRozan. The shooting guard, who proved to be a legitimate threat to LeBron James in their past games, is also reportedly attracting the interest of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The D'Angelo Russell team is currently in its rebuilding mode as the Kobe Bryant era ended in the 2015-16 NBA season. Without the Black Mamba, the Los Angeles Lakers are in dire need of a veteran star and franchise face to lead the group.
"I think we're in an exciting time," shared Luke Walton. The newly minted head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers added, "We have extremely talented young players. We have a ton of money to spend in free agency. We have draft picks this year, and the fact that Mitch and Jimmy Buss trusted me with this, in being part of this rebuilding, post-Kobe era, just means the world to me."
Walton further noted, "We're going to put our stamp on the culture that we want. It's going to be joy. Our players are going to like coming into practice every day. We're going to play a brand of basketball that LA fans will appreciate."
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach also pointed out the advantageous situation of the NBA team at the moment. With an influx of potential franchise faces in the free agency market, the former Kobe Bryant team has the power to pursue and offer the best deals to the stars. The 2016 NBA free agency market includes the likes of Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Hassan Whiteside. However, DeMar DeRozan might just be the perfect free agent to fit the Los Angeles Lakers culture.
"We have money to spend," said Walton. He added, "I know the Buss family and I know the Laker organization, and they're going to do what it takes to win. To me, that's all you really need to know. I don't see why you wouldn't want to come here."
Nothing is official to date, though. At the moments, NBA fans still believe that DeMar DeRozan will re-sign with the Toronto Raptors. However, the front office is said to be openly looking for basketball stars to boost their roster. Hence, the salary demand of DeMar DeRozan might pose an issue between him and the NBA team - a concern that a squad like the Los Angeles Lakers can easily resolve.
What do you think? Should DeMar DeRozan seriously look into the Los Angeles Lakers as a potential landing spot? Or should he just stay with the Toronto Raptors?
