DeMar DeRozan Free Agency Suitors: Heat, Wizards, Nuggets, and Cavaliers Circle the 37-Year-Old
DeMar DeRozan is still one of the most productive scorers on the free agent market, and four teams are quietly circling him with real interest.
The Washington Wizards are the latest team to enter the DeRozan sweepstakes, joining the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers as reported suitors for the six-time All-Star.
DeRozan, who will turn 37 later this month, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on July 6. That was a surprise cut given his production last season, but Sacramento is in the middle of a full roster reset and moving on from veteran contracts.
The numbers from last season with the Kings actually justify the interest. DeRozan averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. He also played 77 games. Late-30s wings who put up 18 a night and never miss games are the kind of veteran signings championship teams look for on the buyout market.
The betting odds tell you where the smart money is. Miami sits at 40% to land DeRozan, well ahead of the field. Toronto is second at 11%, likely because of the sentimental angle with DeRozan’s roots in that city. Denver comes in at 10%. Cleveland and Washington are each at 8%.
Miami makes the most basketball sense. The Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo in the biggest offseason move in the NBA, and they need veteran shot creation on the wing to keep Giannis from having to carry the entire scoring burden every night. Tyler Herro is Miami’s second-best offensive player, but adding DeRozan gives Erik Spoelstra a legitimate late-game isolation scorer who has done it in playoff games his entire career.
The Cavaliers make sense too. Cleveland just missed out on a Finals appearance and needs another shot creator to pair with Donovan Mitchell. Darius Garland’s health is always a question, and DeRozan gives them insurance and playoff bench scoring.
Denver is more interesting. The Nuggets already have Nikola Jokic doing everything on offense, but Jamal Murray’s inconsistency in the second half of last season showed they need another guy who can just get to a spot and make a mid-range jumper. That’s DeRozan’s whole game.
Washington is the outlier. The Wizards are years away from being a real contender. But they have young pieces, they have cap flexibility, and they could try to use DeRozan as a mentor for their developmental core. That’s a longer play, and DeRozan at 37 probably wants to win now more than mentor a rebuild.
Reports indicate that DeRozan is taking his time with the decision because he’s weighing role and title contention against money. A championship team like Miami can only offer a veteran minimum. Washington could offer more but not any real playoff hopes. That’s the tradeoff.
The Cavs also have some maneuvering to do. They’re exploring various trade packages involving Dennis Schroder and Max Strus to open up cap space for more veterans, and DeRozan could be part of that puzzle.
DeRozan has been in the league since 2009. He’s watched championship windows open and close. If he takes the Miami deal, he probably gets his best shot at that first ring. If he takes the money elsewhere, it becomes a legacy question about whether he was ever willing to sacrifice pay for jewelry.
Either way, DeRozan is going to sign somewhere soon. Training camp is coming, and the veterans market always shakes out by early September.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
