Lakers Rumors: Latest on DeMar DeRozan Rumblings and Upcoming Roster Decisions

For the first time since the summer of 2012, things are looking up for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kobe Bryant’s retired, taking with him a weight of expectation that was unappealing to some potential co-stars. Luke Walton, the hottest name in NBA coaching circles, has agreed to join the Lakers bench. D’Angelo Russell looks like a star in the making as long as he can stop hitting the record button on his phone, and the team has about a 55-percent chance of keeping their 2016 first-round pick.

This summer will in all likelihood begin shaping the next era of Lakers basketball. They’re once again expected to make a major push for top free agents, and history shows the franchise’s history will at least get their foot in the door. Kevin Durant probably isn’t making the L.A. leap, but the Lakers have to be considered major contenders for every other top guy on the market (save LeBron James).

It even seems like after years of boisterous optimism, Lakers fans have settled into a state of realism. They’re not screaming about an impending championship or even pretending Kobe was a superstar-caliber player last season anymore. Winning 65 games in a three-year span can do that to a fanbase.

But with things looking up, let’s take a look at some of the Lakers buzz going around the league at the moment.

DeRozan Eying a Return Home?

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The Lakers’ clearest path to a top free agent appears to be Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan. He was born in Compton, played his college ball at UCLA, and rumors of a marriage have been floating around all season. 

At age 26, he fits in with the Lakers’ youth-laden roster and would give them a primary scoring option at Bryant’s now-vacant wing spot. DeRozan also had a career year in 2015-16, averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while making his second All-Star team. Plus, there’s the whole fact that Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s First Take says DeRozan wants to be a Laker. 

“He’s made it very, very clear that he wants to be in L.A.,” Smith said (via Hannah Kulik of Lakers Nation). “He has family out there. He’s from out there. He wants to be in L.A. He wants to wear the purple and gold, and if there’s a way for it to happen, again he’s restricted, if there’s a way for it to happen, DeMar DeRozan will be in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform next season.”

First off, a correction: DeRozan isn’t a restricted free agent. He has a player option, which everyone in the world knows he will decline.

Beyond that, there may be some validity to Smith’s claims. It’s not like the Raptors have the best history of keeping their star players—particularly …

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