When LeBron James was named as a potential target for the Los Angeles Lakers with a mid-level exception that they would be willing to accept for money, they were James Harden, Klay Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas. Harden and Valanciunas reached agreements with other teams shortly after the free agency period began.
The list reportedly includes other names, including DeMar DeRozan.
“I think there are more than three.” said Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective Podcast.. “I think DeMar DeRozan is on that list, and there might be one more.”
James currently needs to be paid about $25 million less than his contract to secure a position that would allow the Lakers to provide a mid-level position. The Lakers would have to cut the salary to make it a more realistic possibility.
“The Lakers are under pressure to make separate deals to free up more space.” Windhorst added. “It might have something to do with D’Angelo Russell. It might have something to do with a guy like Gabe Vincent. It might have something to do with a guy like Rui Hachimure. But he’s in the final year of a contract worth almost $19 million. Because it’s probably Russell, and that’s basically what the Mavericks have already done, I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’m not sure.
DeRozan’s future with the Chicago Bulls is unclear as the franchise moves toward a rebuild. At the end of the season, the Bulls reportedly offered DeRozan a two-year, $80 million extension. DeRozan declined, considering a long-term deal. DeRozan is represented by Aaron Goodwin.
