Lakers: DeMar DeRozan Was Willing to Take a Pay Cut to Join Los Angeles
The Lakers could have been in a much different situation this year than they are right now. If you can remember way back before this disaster of a season, there was a lot of interest in DeMar DeRozan coming out West.
The Toronto/San Antonio/Chicago star ultimately ended up signing a free-agent deal with the Bulls for 3 years and $81.9 million. But as it turns out, he would have considered coming out to the Lakers and taking a pay cut.
DeRozan spoke with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks this week, and he did want to come out West. After all, who wouldn't want to team up with Lakers superstar LeBron James?
"It was an option. Have the opportunity to play with one of the greatest players of all time, why not? It's hard to turn that down. Then wanting to compete for a championship in your hometown - all those elements just had lined up to allow me to consider a realistic pay cut."
DeRozan admitted that he would have taken the pay cut to come out, though he added it would not have been substantial. But that did not happen. The Lakers pivoted from DeRozan and ended up dealing a handful of guys to land Russell Westbrook.
What has DeRozan done since then? He's averaged over 26 points per game and has been one of the Bulls' top scorers. Meanwhile, the Lakers have really struggled to figure out a way to best utilize Westbrook, and it hasn't worked out so far.
It's easy to imagine what could have been, but it is what it is.
