Mock Trade Sends Kings' DeMar DeRozan Home to Los Angeles in Offseason Deal With Lakers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated May 14, 2025 10:58 AM ET

For years, DeMar DeRozan has made it clear that he, at some point, would like to play in his hometown of Los Angeles. Instead, he has played in Canada, Texas, Chicago, and Sacramento.

As he nears the end of his career, his window of winning a title is also wrapping up, and his only chance to win a ring might be as a third or fourth option, rather than as a centerpiece.

Luckily, between Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers already have a superstar core, and DeRozan would be a solid offensive addition.

Lakers Would Need to Make an Additional Move

In a mock trade proposed by ABC's Matt George, the Sacramento Kings would send DeRozan to the Lakers for the matching salaries of Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith. The justification? The Kings need defense and wing depth, and giving up an aging star for that might be worth it.

The Lakers, meanwhile, add to their title hopes with one massive stipulation: they would need to add a defensively-minded center.

A star core of James, Doncic, Reaves, and DeRozan can score from all over the floor, facilitate for one another, or chop things up in isolation. Even past their prime, James and DeRozan are still excellent offensive players.

However, none of those players can stop much scoring. If the Lakers somehow added a rim protector like Nic Claxton, Brook Lopez, or even Bam Adebayo in the offseason, then adding DeRozan as an additional scorer would be an excellent move, and the Kings could center their offense on Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, or they could dish away their other stars and rebuild.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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