The Los Angeles Lakers are not expected to pursue veteran scorer DeMar DeRozan after the Sacramento Kings released him, despite their previous interest in the Southern California native.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers are not considered a potential landing spot for DeRozan after his departure from Sacramento. McMenamin noted that DeRozan and Los Angeles had dialogue in the past, most notably during the 2021 offseason, but the two sides are not currently viewed as a match.
DeRozan became available after the Kings moved toward a younger roster direction. Sacramento is expected to waive and stretch the final season of his three-year, $73.7 million contract, which would reduce his immediate salary-cap impact while creating additional flexibility.
The Lakers’ decision not to pursue DeRozan comes as the franchise enters a new era following LeBron James’ departure. After eight seasons in Los Angeles, James informed the organization that he intends to continue his career elsewhere, leaving the Lakers focused on building around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Los Angeles has already committed significant resources toward reshaping the roster around Doncic. The team acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade and added Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton to strengthen the supporting cast around its new franchise centerpiece.
That roster construction appears to have reduced the need for another veteran isolation scorer like DeRozan. The Lakers are prioritizing defensive versatility and players who can complement Doncic’s ball-dominant offensive style rather than adding another high-usage creator.
DeRozan, 36, remains productive despite his age. During the 2025-26 season with Sacramento, he averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 77 games while shooting 49.7% from the field and 86.8% from the free-throw line.
However, his offensive profile has become more difficult to fit into certain roster structures. DeRozan averaged only 0.6 three-pointers made per game on 1.9 attempts while shooting 32.0% from three-point range, limiting his impact as a floor spacer.
