USC Basketball: Former-Trojan DeMar DeRozan Opens Up About Upcoming Free Agency

Former Trojans guard DeMar DeRozan is one of the more successful players to enter the NBA out of USC in recent years. He was taken No. 9 overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 NBA Draft and has built a very nice career out for himself.

He is a six-time All-Star and has mastered the mid-range shot over the years. DeRozan is scheduled to be a free agent this summer and while he is expected to likely land back with the Chicago Bulls, he couldn't resist giving thought to himself coming home.

The veteran appeared on FanDuel TV and broke down his thoughts on potentially coming to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Everybody knows I'm a Kobe guy at the end of the day. Always been a Kobe guy. Been a Laker fan since Day 1. You can't never say no about playing home, especially if you're playing for a historic team like the Lakers. Time will tell, we'll see where the cards fall. Until then, I'll see what happens. I always want to be where I'm wanted."

Would @DeMar_DeRozan ever consider playing for the #Lakers?

"You can't never say no about playing home...Time will tell, we'll see where the cards fall." pic.twitter.com/IXnamokK64
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 15, 2024

Los Angeles could use a player like DeRozan to pair alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis but the issue would be what they could pay him. The Lakers don't have cap space to outright sign DeRozan for what he likely would want, shutting down most likelihood of this happening.

However, if DeRozan was willing to take a big pay cut to join a contender and come home, his joining the Lakers gets interesting. Never underestimate the want to come home, especially when DeRozan has been on some mediocre teams in the past. While it's unlikely to happen, never say never.

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