"You can't never say no about playing home" - DeMar DeRozan open to suiting up for LA Lakers

DeMar DeRozan is open to playing for the LA Lakers as long as he's wanted there. He's from Compton and played college basketball at USC. He was supposed to join the Lakers in 2021, but the team went after Russell Westbrook via trade.

On the "Run It Back" podcast, former NBA player Chandler Parsons asked DeRozan if he was interested in suiting up for the Lakers. "Deebo" explained that he grew up as a Lakers fan and will never say no to playing at home.

"Everybody know I'm a Kobe guy. I've been always a Kobe guy/ I've been a Lakers fan since day one. You can’t never say no about playing home, especially for playing for a storied team like the Lakers. So, time will tell," Derozan said."

He added:

"We'll see where the cards fall. Until then, I'll see what happens. I'm always going to be where I'm wanted. I know what Imma do, so we'll see how it plays out."

DeMar DeRozan will be a free agent this offseason after three years with the Chicago Bulls. He's open to signing a new contract with the Bulls, who made the playoffs once and the NBA Play-In Tournament twice in the past three seasons.

DeRozan will be turning 35 in August but will likely remain an in-demand player in free agency. As hinted in the video above, he will sign with the team that wants him. He previously played for the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs before signing with the Bulls in 2021.

The Compton native is a six-time NBA All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Second Team selection. He unlikely gets a max deal considering his age, but he will still be worth a big contract, especially for a team that would love to add him.

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DeMar DeRozan almost signed with the LA Lakers in 2021

DeMar DeRozan almost became an LA Lakers player in 2021.

DeMar DeRozan had a deal in place with the LA Lakers in the summer of 2021. DeRozan was reportedly in contact with the team and was close to signing with his hometown team. However, the Lakers didn't want to offer him a three-year contract, as per Chris Haynes of TNT.

That's when the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook, who didn't pan out alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. DeRozan signed with the Chicago Bulls and was amazing for them in three seasons.

DeRozan opened up about his failed deal with the Lakers in an interview with Yahoo! Sports in November 2021:

"I felt like going to the Lakers was a done deal and that we were going to figure it out. I was going to come home. The business side of things just didn't work out. A couple of things didn't align. It didn't work out. It's just part of the business, part of the game," DeRozan said.