NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers To Give DeMar Derozan An Offer He Can't Refuse?
The loudest NBA trade rumor this past week has involved the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors star guard DeMar Derozan.
ESPN's Zach Lowe revealed that the Lakers are ready to open the bank to get the services of the 6-7 shooting guard.
"A bunch of teams, including DeRozan's hometown Lakers, are prepared to offer him a max deal starting at $25 million per season, and the Raptors know they will have to spend big to keep him," he wrote.
This NBA trade rumor surfaced last week when Toronto Sun revealed that many teams are already monitoring Derozan who could be on his way to his second NBA All-Star game appearance.
"Like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Nic Batum and Mike Conley, DeRozan is eligible for a new deal starting at around $25.3 million a season and escalating from there, since the cap is rocketing from $63.1 million to $90 million," Toronto Sun wrote.
"Just about every team will have ample cap space, including his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, so DeRozan suddenly will be in a whole new economic stratosphere."
DeRozan previously said he is happy with where he is right now but an NBA source predicts he might opt out of his contract to become a free agent. The source also said that Brooklyn Nets want to sign him, too.
"I can tell you he'll opt out. But how he feels about Brooklyn-or anybody else-I can't say. Only he can answer that,'' Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported adding that DeMar DeRozan "has a trait that's been lost by so many players," the source noted. "It's called loyalty."
DeRozan is regarded as one of the top shooting guards in the league right now and among the elite level players in upcoming free agency. This is why it is natural for him to get dragged in several NBA trade rumors this early.
He was drafted ninth overall by Raptors in 2009. He had his best year in his career in 2013-14 season wherein he averaged 22.7 PPG and 4.0 APG. This season, he leads the team with 22.9 per outing which also comes with 4.4 RPG and 4.1 APG.
