It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers will not strike out this offseason in NBA Free agency.
The latest claim by controversial ESPN talk show host Stephen A. Smith is that Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan will go back to his hometown on the West Coast.
He has mentioned this claim since last month. In mid-April, he mentioned in this ESPN video (h/t Black Sports Online) that DeRozan is "enjoying his last days with the Toronto Raptors as he is leaving in a few months anyway" Lakers.
He repeated his claim on Tuesday's edition of First Take and Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation has the full quote on DeRozan.
"He's made it very, very clear that he wants to be in L.A.," Smith said. "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."
One notable error there is that Smith said DeRozan was "restricted." DeMar is an unrestricted free agent who can sign with any team and the Toronto Raptors cannot match even if they wanted to. Thus, it really won't be difficult to make it happen.
Ward noted that DeRozan is fast becoming the Lakers main target as he is the team's best shot to land a player of All-Star caliber. With the recent Oklahoma City victory, it seems more likely that Kevin Durant will stick it out with the Thunder. Other All-Star players like Al Horford have a horde of suitors with better chances to contend than the Lakers.
It is also interesting to note that Stephen A. Smith was the source for the rumor that Kevin Durant has placed the Lakers as top priority in free agency if he decides to leave Oklahoma. This even resulted in a heated exchange between the former MVP and the ESPN veteran.
Does Stephen A. Smith have a reliable source inside the Lakers organization or is he just inclined to troll one of the biggest fan bases in the NBA?