Compton native and lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan DeMar DeRozan has often been linked to his hometown team. Although he never played for the Lakers, his close relationship with Kobe Bryant and desire to represent his city kept the door open for a potential move. However, this summer, DeRozan ended up joining the Sacramento Kings instead of the Lakers.

In an interview with The Athletic, DeRozan revealed how close he came to signing with the Lakers before eventually landing with their division rival. He shared, “Obviously I have my selfish reasons of wanting to be able to play at home, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. They made their choice, and I just left it at that.”

This isn’t the first time DeRozan came close to joining the Lakers. In 2021, he was linked to L.A., but the team opted to trade for Russell Westbrook instead. Reflecting on this summer’s situation, DeRozan explained, “After the last time, you really don’t get your hopes all the way up. I didn’t have high hopes because you already see how it could play out.”

At 35 years old, DeRozan just signed a three-year contract with the Kings, making it unlikely that he will ever play for the Lakers. Instead, fans can expect some fierce matchups between DeRozan and his hometown team over the coming seasons.

Despite his known desire to play for the Lakers, reports indicate that the team never made a serious effort to sign DeRozan this offseason, even though LeBron James was reportedly willing to take a pay cut to make the deal possible.