Lakers Rumors: Latest on DeMar DeRozan Rumblings and Upcoming Roster Decisions

For the first time since the summer of 2012, things are looking up for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kobe Bryant's retired, taking with him a weight of expectation that was unappealing to some potential co-stars. Luke Walton, the hottest name in NBA coaching circles, has agreed to join the Lakers bench. D'Angelo Russell looks like a star in the making as long as he can stop hitting the record button on his phone, and the team has about a 55 percent chance of keeping its 2016 first-round pick.

This summer will in all likelihood begin shaping the next era of Lakers basketball. They're once again expected to make a major push for top free agents, and history shows the franchise will at least get its foot in the door. Kevin Durant probably isn't making the L.A. leap, but the Lakers have to be considered major contenders for every other top guy on the market (save LeBron James).

It even seems like after years of boisterous optimism, Lakers fans have settled into a state of realism. They're not screaming about an impending championship or even pretending Kobe was a superstar-caliber player last season anymore. Winning 65 games in a three-year span can do that to a fanbase.

But with things looking up, let's take a look at some of the Lakers buzz going around the league at the moment.

DeRozan Eying a Return Home?

The Lakers' clearest path to a top free agent appears to be Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan. He was born in Compton, California, played his college ball at USC and rumors of a marriage have been floating around all season, going back to a January report from ESPN.com's Zach Lowe.

At age 26, he fits in with the Lakers' youth-laden roster and would give them a primary scoring option at Bryant's now-vacant wing spot. DeRozan also had a career year in 2015-16, averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while making his second All-Star team. Plus, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN's First Take claimed DeRozan wants to be a Laker.

"He's made it very, very clear that he wants to be in L.A," Smith said (via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation). "He has family out there. He's from out there. He wants to be in L.A. He wants to wear the purple and gold, and if there's a way for it to happen, again he's restricted, if there's a way for it to happen, DeMar DeRozan will be in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform next season."

First off, a correction: DeRozan isn't a restricted free agent. He has a player option and will opt out barring some nuclear warfare that freezes all NBA contracts.

Beyond that, there may be some validity to Smith's claims. It's not like the Raptors have the best history of keeping their star players—particularly wings. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady pushed their way out the door before, and it's possible DeRozan will join that list.

One issue from a Lakers perspective: Do you really want to be the team that gives DeRozan $25-plus million per season? Because I don't. DeRozan's a fine player and has made some real improvements to his all-around game. But he still has chucker tendencies, and his marriage to the mid-range has earned him a new nickname this postseason.

Smart teams should already be looking ahead to 2017, when a potential work stoppage threatens to undo the league-wide financial bonanza. Paying DeRozan $25 million with a $100-plus million cap, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, might not be crippling, but he tops out as the second- or third-best player on a real contender. Overpaying the 25th-best player in basketball is a path to mediocrity.

Festus Ezeli Following Walton to L.A.?

The upcoming cap spike this summer is going to create a new salary normal for the NBA. That much we know for sure. Max guys are going to be making Michael Jordan-in-1998-esque salaries, and even lower-tier bench guys are going to trip and fall into $5 million somewhere.

What's most uncertain are the guys in the middle. What does a guy who would have made $7-8 million under the previous salary structure make now? $10 million? $12 million? And how much will the market be affected by desperate general managers having an almost unlimited money pool to play with for the first time?

Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli falls somewhere on that line. He averaged 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during the regular season, both career highs. He's never played more than 16.7 minutes per game, and the big man has spent the majority of the last three years dealing with leg problems. A torn ACL cost him 2013-14, ankle issues burdened him in 2014-15 and another knee surgery halted his path this season.

"Obviously there are health issues you're worried about," one general manager told Sporting News' Sean Deveney. "So I don't think you'd want to go beyond three years. But he still has a lot of upside and he can get better in a bigger role."

The Lakers have a need at center, particularly a defensive-minded athlete who can make up for Julius Randle's shortcomings. Walton coached Ezeli in Golden State, and Deveney reported the Lakers see Ezeli as an "ideal" fit.

The price point is just going to be scary. Big men tend to get overpaid on the open market, even as the NBA pushes more toward a five-out offensive philosophy. If a team sees Ezeli as an undervalued resource—someone who actually could anchor a defensive interior—then he might see $15 million put on the table. The Lakers and every other team should run for the high hills if that winds up being his asking price.

Ezeli still lacks in offensive polish as he approaches his 27th birthday, gets called for a ton of fouls and is a bricky free-throw shooter. If something like two years and $25 million can get the job done, then it's a fine short-term risk. If negotiations start stretching to three or four years, it's probably time to back away from the negotiating table.

Other Notes

Lakers to Make "Big Run" at Paul George?

Bill Simmons of HBO and The Ringer reported the Lakers plan on trying to package their top-three pick and other assets for Indiana Pacers forward Paul George. While they undoubtedly would be open to such a swap, this falls into the Laker-dream-scenario strata of things that won't happen.

George is under contract through the 2017-18 season and has given no indication he wants to leave Indiana. He's also one of the dozen best players in basketball, a 26-year-old two-way maven who came back this season from a harrowing leg injury to set a career high in points per game (23.1).

Indiana isn't exactly known as a hotbed of free-agent interest. Franchises like this don't trade players like George unless he's made it abundantly clear he's leaving.

Jordan Clarkson Wants to be Back in L.A.

Count restricted free-agent guard Jordan Clarkson among the players happy with the Lakers' hiring of Walton.

"It really impacts it a lot," Clarkson told ESPN.com's Jovan Buha. "That style of play fits me, as well as the other guys. I definitely want to stay here in L.A. and be here. I said in my exit interview, I don't want to be that guy who bounces around from team to team."

Clarkson, 23, averaged 15.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this season. The former second-round pick has started 117 games in his two NBA seasons. While he creates a bit of positional redundancy with Russell, Clarkson will in all likelihood return on a long-term deal. He's too young and too valuable of an asset to allow to walk, especially given the fact the Lakers can match any offer he gets.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.