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I'm not going to write about the DeMar DeRozan rumors but I'll say a few things on here b/c I have a moment...
DeRozan is not the player I'd pursue if trying to upgrade that position. I'd much rather target more of a two-way player who also offers scoring punch and some playmaking. There's a guy like that in Indy, for example, who could be available.
DeRozan isn't a good defensive player, nor is he a 3-point shooter. The complications that come with that player archetype can be difficult to integrate into a lot of teams, particularly ones that have their sights on winning titles.
DeRozan is, however, a super talented offensive player who scores efficiently from 2-point range by hitting mid-range jumpers at a high rate, getting to the basket, & going to the FT line. These players have real value and ignoring that to focus on what he doesn't do isn't fair.
The key with trying to build a winner with any player who is not going to be your best player or even your 2nd best player is to try to maximize their strengths by covering up their weaknesses as much as possible. The overall makeup of your team dictates how hard/easy this is.
For DeRozan, he needs other shooters around him and other defenders around him to help put him into the most ideal positions to play *his* game where he can score well, offer some playmaking for others, and not be a wholly bad defensive player who is targeted.
I'd argue the Lakers are in a better position than most teams to take on this type of player. Particularly because DeRozan is quite a bit more talented than the framing of his game suggests he is.
That does not mean I'd argue for making a deal for him. I would not. Again, read the first tweet from this thread. But, I don't see this as an "absolute" no. Again, he's quite good at playing basketball. He's just not exactly what I'd want when trying to build out a title team.
Last point on this: Just as I believe in building out lineups in order to optimze players, I'm a big believer in slotting players appropriately based on their talent to ensure you're not asking them to be more than they're capable of being.
A great example of this was the 2009 & 2010 Lakers teams w/ Pau & Lamar. Pau went from Memphis' #1 option to the Lakers #2. LO went from the Lakers #2 guy to more of a jack of all trades who didn't have any single burden -- particularly as a scorer.
Appropriate slotting can lead to the type of role that produces better team results because that person is no longer asked to be better than he is on a night to night basis.
In terms of DeRozan, he was miscast as the Raptors best player & he’s been miscast as the Spurs 1st or 2nd best player. On the Lakers he’d clearly be the 3rd best player. Does that suit him better? Can he excel in that role + have his weaknesses papered over?
I don’t have the answers to these questions. But they should all he a part of the calculus when analyzing a potential deal.
Those are my thoughts. Ya’ll be good now. 
