Even after all these years, Magic Johnson is still not over it!

Just a few years back, DeMar DeRozan was supposed to join the Lakers. The 5x NBA champ was excited about the potential. However, that deal shockingly didn’t happen, as Johnson pointed out LeBron James’ role in it. And the Lakers legend is still frustrated about what happened.

During his appearance on the talk show Speak, Johnson was asked whether DeRozan could have helped the Purple & Gold. The host was asking about the recent time before DeMar joined the Kings, but Johnson thought it to be the 2022 trade and frustratingly explained, “They had the trade done. Kuzma for DeMar. And then we were gonna get Buddy Hield. That’s all we had to do.”

Looking back in 2022, DeRozan had expressed a desire to play for his hometown team. His agent, Aaron Goodwin, had put in an equal amount of effort to make it happen. Goodwin also contacted Magic Johnson, explaining that DeRozan was ready to join the Lakers. And it almost happened. 

The key word here: Almost. 

But it didn’t, as Los Angeles opted for Russell Westbrook. The team gave up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma to acquire Westbrook. And the franchise paid a hefty price. Westbrook had the worst season of his career, averaging 18.4 points and 7.1 assists per game.

And Magic Johnson? He accused James of it. “The blame that he’s gotta take is the fact that DeRozan ended up in Chicago and not with the Lakers,” Johnson said on ESPN’s Get Up.

He further added, “We could have made that deal, but when Russell and LeBron and them started talking, that’s when they nixed that deal and went with Westbrook, and he became a Laker instead of DeRozan.” 

Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan had the best time of his career. And after the Bulls, he had the chance to join his hometown again. But he didn’t opt for it.

What does DeMar DeRozan think about the situation?

As soon as Goodwin understood the situation, he urged the Compton native toward the Bulls. DeRozan played a pivotal role when he joined the Bulls in an $81.9 million sign-and-trade deal. Now, the Lakers deciding not to choose was a shocking revelation for DeRozan as well.

The passion was obvious when he stepped into his first matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers after that. The 6x NBA All-Star scored a game-high 39 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a commanding 121-103 victory over the Lakers. Hitting a career-high 28 points per game and recording his best shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line, he had significantly elevated the team. 

After the end of his agreement with the Bulls, and despite interest from several teams, including the Lakers, the 35-year-old opted to sign with the Sacramento Kings. He agreed to a three-year deal worth $73.9 million with the Kings. When asked about his wish to join the Lakers in a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, he shared, “Obviously I have my selfish reasons of wanting to be able to play at home, (but) sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way.” 

He added, “And sometimes it probably isn’t the best decision for me either. So after that didn’t happen, I didn’t dwell on it. I wasn’t mad. They made their choice, and I just left it at that.” There’s no doubt, indeed!