Last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers had a golden opportunity to put together a championship-caliber team by acquiring star wing DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade acquisition.
However, according to reports, it didn’t happen because L.A. wasn’t willing to give him the contract he wanted.
Instead, the Lakers swung a trade for Russell Westbrook, a deal that many feel has been a disaster for multiple reasons.
Many also feel that LeBron James was behind the Purple and Gold turning down DeRozan and instead opting for Westbrook.
Lakers great Magic Johnson is one of those who are blaming James. While on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Johnson elaborated on the situation.
Via Lakers Daily:
“When I think about it, the blame that he’s gotta take is the fact that DeRozan ended up in Chicago and not with the Lakers,” Johnson said. “DeRozan wanted to play for the Lakers, and when I got the call from his agent, I called the Lakers, said, ‘Hey, he wants to come home.’ And DeRozan could have been a Laker instead of a Bull.
“We could have made that deal, but when Russell and LeBron and them started talking, that’s when they nixed that deal and went with Westbrook, and he became a Laker instead of DeRozan.”
Johnson also said that if the Lakers had made the DeRozan deal instead, they would’ve been able to retain key role players such as Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and as a result, they “would be playing in the Western Conference championship this year.”
The departure of role players such as them, and the team replacing them with over-the-hill players such as Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony and DeAndre Jordan, has been a key factor in the Lakers falling way short of expectations this season.
