Clippers Rumors: L.A. interested in signing DeMar DeRozan

NBA free agency rumors: It’s hard to believe, but the Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly interested in DeMar DeRozan.

Well, we have ourselves a Los Angeles Clippers free agency rumor that seems hard to buy. Yet, it’s still appeared, just as many NBA rumors will during a free agency that promises to have wild speculation from fanbases all around the league. Primarily, it comes from those eager to sign Kevin Durant, which is essentially everyone.

Reports that the Clippers are one of only six teams (including the Oklahoma City Thunder) to be scheduling a meeting with Durant has to be good news. At the very least, the opportunity to sit him down and sell him on the talent of the roster, the chance to play with Chris Paul, and the chance to live in L.A. makes the team’s chances stronger, no matter how strong (or weak) they are to begin with.

Pursuing another max player — DeMar DeRozan, for example — is far harder to see as a possibility.

However, Sam Amick of USA Today Sports has reported interest in DeRozan from several teams, including the Clippers:

"As for DeRozan, he has plenty of options on hold as well. The Lakers, who could wind up getting a meeting with DeRozan, in part, because he still resides there during the summer, are widely known to be very interested in making him part of their young core. The Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic are also hoping to lure him stateside.But it’s the Raptors first for DeRozan, and then all the rest – with a few wrinkles to be ironed out along the way."

The Heat will almost certainly still re-sign Dwyane Wade, the Warriors obviously have the prolific Klay Thompson, meaning the fit with DeRozan immediately seems bizarre as he’d be forced from shooting guard to small forward. That’s before even considering why a team such as the Warriors would want to clear cap space and sign a ball dominant, weak perimeter shooting guard like DeRozan.

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As for the other teams mentioned, neither the Knicks, Lakers or Magic offer any more promise to win than the Raptors, coming off their best season in franchise history.

Amick did mention that the Raptors clearly come first, though, and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon only confirmed that by reporting DeRozan’s loyal intent to meet with no other teams in free agency:

"Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan does not plan to schedule meetings with other teams at the start of free agency, opting to focus on working out a contract to return to the Eastern Conference finalists, a source told ESPN.com."

Now, as for the Clippers’ supposed interest, they already have the near perfect shooting guard for their team in J.J. Redick. A capable team defender and relentless runner off screens, establishing himself even further as one of the deadliest sharpshooters in the world as he led the NBA with a career-high 47.5 three-point percentage last season, is exactly what they need.

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So, where would DeRozan go? Yet again, he’d be forced to small forward if the Clippers fail to sign Durant, although due to the essential guarantee that DeRozan receives a max contract, a sign-and-trade for Blake Griffin would be the obvious solution to the cap situation.

And as a wing who isn’t an elite defender, shot just 33.8 percent from three (only 47 makes all season) and needs the ball in his hands to be effective, clearly struggling with efficiency and shot selection inside the arc as well, giving up Griffin doesn’t seem worth it at all. Not even as a plan B after missing on Durant. Redick is a far more seamless fit for how Chris Paul operates the team.

On top of all of that, DeRozan is one of many players who can enjoy being overpaid in the rising market with a max contract, and the Clippers shouldn’t restructure their roster to make it work.

Next: 5 big men Clippers should pursue in free agency

Along with such obvious issues and the mutual interested between the Raptors and DeRozan to agree upon a deal, it’s almost 100 percent safe to say that nothing will come of this.