Lakers Would Be Foolish To Offer DeMar DeRozan Max Contract Next Season
By Mehdi Bouneb
The Los Angeles Lakers will be entering the second half of the 2015-16 NBA season with the second-worst record in the league.
Currently sitting at 9-32, the Lakers currently have a 55.8% chance of retaining their top-protected pick, with a 19.9% shot at the first pick. Should the Lakers fall out of the top three, the pick goes to the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to the Steve Nash trade in 2012.
However, the Lakers are not known for rebuilding through the draft, but rather through free-agency — even though the franchise hasn’t struggled this bad in their 68-year history.
This off-season will prove to be crucial for the Lakers, as not only is Kobe retiring at season’s end, but they have struck out with big-name free-agents since Dwight Howard bolted to Houston in the summer of 2013.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Lakers have a strong interest in the current Toronto Raptor:
“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.”
The Lakers will have $23 million in guaranteed contracts for the 2016-17 season.
With the salary-cap space set to skyrocket to $89 million, the Lakers will have $66 million available to sign at least two max-contracts, along with several role players.
Giving Demar DeRozan a max-contract beginning at $25 million or more is simply excessive.
By no means is this taking a shot at DeRozan or his ability on the floor.
DeRozan would be a great offensive option to help transition the Lakers into the post-Kobe era. For the season, he is posting averages of 22.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
DeRozan is also posting a career-high player efficiency rating of 21.17.
DeRozan is a volume shooter averaging nearly 15 shots per game while shooting 44% from the field, including 27% from long-range.
Since entering the league in 2009, DeRozan has been relatively healthy but has only played in two full seasons twice.
So far, DeRozan is averaging 73 games per season.
He would be a good successor to Kobe Bryant, but again, giving DeRozan a max-contract is not a good idea.
He is not known for being a defensive player, averaging less than one steal per game over the course of his career.
With the salary-cap increasing, and DeRozan having his best NBA season, it is a near certainty that he will decline his player-option worth $9,500,000 and demand a max-contract.
The Lakers have a plethora of guards on the roster, with their future solely based on D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle.
If the Lakers bring in DeRozan, that is at least $25 million gone leaving the Lakers with $41 million. This would allow the Lakers to chase another max-player such as Kevin Durant (what are the chances?), and then begin acquiring role players.
The option above is not smart!
The reason free-agents decide to spurn the Lakers is that the franchise doesn’t have much to offer on the basketball court.
Do superstars want to come play with an unproven yet promising rookie in Russell, and two encouraging sophomores in Clarkson and Randle?
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No, because superstars chase titles. The Lakers are currently nowhere near a title; at least four to five years away from another Finals berth, to put it kindly.
What the Lakers need to do is surround themselves with non-superstar talent such as Al Horford, Al Jefferson, and Mike Conley amongst others.
The Lakers also cannot shy away from restricted free-agents but that may result in over-paying a player.
DeRozan would be a great fit for Los Angeles, and if Mitch Kupchack and Jim Buss are able to acquire the LA native for at least $19 million, the front office will have more wiggle room for a faster rebuild.
But before we can worry about free-agency, the Lakers hope to find themselves in the top three of the 2016 NBA Draft which will take place on June 23, 2016, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Next: Kobe Bryant's Final Game In Oakland
Will Ben Simmons be a part of the Lakers’ future, or will Philadelphia inherit the pick?
We will have the answer to those questions in less than six months.