All-Star Believes LeBron James' 2018 Lakers Departure Cleared Path for East Contenders

The 20-time All-Star ended his streak of eight straight Finals appearances in the West.

Apr 29, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Now-Sacramento Kings small forward DeMar DeRozan has had a somewhat fraught relationship with Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA combo forward LeBron James. Across his past two free agencies, the 6-foot-6 USC product has had flirtations with James' Lakers.

The six-time All-Star swingman spoke with James and Davis about joining his hometown Lakers first in the summer of 2021 after a three-year run with the San Antonio Spurs, before the team ultimately opted to trade for 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook. DeRozan played instead for the Chicago Bulls via an $81.9 million sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs, earning an All-NBA accolade and a pair of All-Star appearances during his three-season tenure there. He again had conversations with the Lakers this summer, but again decided to move on and join the Kings in a $73.9 million sign-and-trade deal.

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But DeRozan also had grievances with James as a player. James was an absolutely dominant force during DeRozan's prime years with the Toronto Raptors, having led his Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers clubs to eight consecutive NBA Finals appearances, including three wins. When James departed for the Lakers as a free agent in 2018, DeRozan felt that a path to title contention had been cleared in the Eastern Conference. Before he had a chance to find out, DeRozan was traded away to San Antonio, in exchange for All-NBA wing Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors went on to instantly win the 2019 championship, and Leonard quickly left in free agency.

During a recent appearance on ESPN's "First Take," DeRozan revealed that he believed he, too, could have won a championship had he remained in Toronto.

"Never to discredit those guys––they won it, they deserve it. I finally had gotten to a point where I was happy for them," DeRozan said of dealing with the Raptors' run to a championship without him.

"The only person we couldn’t beat was LeBron, that’s just what it was," DeRozan acknowledged.

To hear DeRozan tell it, Toronto wasn't particularly far off from championship contention, but even with him aboard could have used a little more role player depth.

"I felt, off the year we had before, we just needed one more piece to kind of push over the top," DeRozan said. His Raptors were knocked out of the East playoffs by James' Cavaliers during each of his last three seasons in L.A.

"I didn’t get an opportunity to see what would’ve happened, but with the utmost confidence within myself, I have no doubt in my mind the same outcome would have happened," DeRozan noted.

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