With one too many veterans who have been disappointing following an offseason of optimism, the LA Clippers should know by now that they need to refrain from acquiring players nearing the age of 40. However, another lesson is clearly necessary, as Sam Amick reported that the Clippers are interested in DeMar DeRozan, who turned 36 in August.
This season, DeRozan’s statistics look solid on a struggling Sacramento Kings team that is 5-13 and half a game behind the Clippers. He is averaging 18.7 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds, shooting 50.0% from the field.
Thus, DeRozan will inevitably be shopped, as the Kings will look to move his appealing partially guaranteed contract. The Clippers should let other teams pursue the six-time All-Star, but for some reason, they see potential in aging veterans that no one else does, which is why they may entertain proposals with Sacramento.
DeMar DeRozan will not perform any better than Bradley Beal did
Just like Bradley Beal’s last season with the Phoenix Suns, DeMar DeRozan’s numbers are attracting the eyes of Lawrence Frank and the LA Clippers. He is ultimately producing for a team that should be winning with Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, but is not.
On the contrary, if DeRozan becomes a Clipper at the trade deadline, his tenure will end up as a clone copy of Beal’s. This is because they are both ball-dominant players who need a high level of usage that is unavailable.
The Clippers want someone who can stand in a corner and score as a second option. Their logic is that this type of player will come into play if Kawhi Leonard is on the sidelines, but due to age, DeRozan is not the solution.
In fact, the Clippers do not need stars anymore. The package that may end up being used to land DeRozan should really be invested in effective role players who know what they are doing on both sides of the ball.
Yet, DeRozan is rumored to join LA somehow, somehow, nearly every season, and given that he is from Los Angeles and went to school at USC, the inevitable may transpire while the Clippers are panicking.
That said, Sam Amick’s report of interest in DeRozan from the Clippers’ side suggests that Frank needs to be shown once more why older stars are forcing their foot to remain on the brakes. Though securing the Toronto Raptors legend is not ideal, he could be the one to shift LA’s mindset.