The Brooklyn Nets have already made a few notable moves this offseason, bringing in Julius Randle and using a draft pick on Mikel Brown Jr., whom the team views as a major part of its future. But even with that work done, there’s still a clear opening for more scoring.
That’s where DeMar DeRozan comes in.
DeRozan is now free to sign with any team after being released by the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. And if Brooklyn wants another proven bucket-getter, he fits the bill. The 36-year-old just finished a season in which he averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% shooting with 4.1 assists per game, a reminder that there’s still plenty of game left in his tank.
The Nets’ offense is expected to flow through Michael Porter Jr. and Randle next season, but neither offers quite the same three-level scoring punch DeRozan does. He can work from the midrange, attack downhill, and force defenses to collapse around him.
That kind of presence would also make sense alongside Randle in the pick-and-roll, since both players can create for one another with their playmaking ability. DeRozan’s comfort as a lead ball handler could also open things up for Egor Dëmin and Brown, giving them cleaner looks as off-ball shooters and more chances to get catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
Of course, DeRozan would need the ball in his hands often to be at his best. But competition has a way of sharpening everyone, and adding an established veteran like him could push Dëmin, Brown and the rest of Brooklyn’s guards and wings to raise their level and fight for regular rotation minutes.
Brooklyn also has no reason to chase the bottom of the standings next season, which makes a lineup built around Porter, Randle and DeRozan at least plausible as a play-in contender. That possibility becomes even more interesting if Dëmin and Brown grow into a workable backcourt pairing over the course of the year.
Still, the likelier outcome may be DeRozan landing with a contender in pursuit of his first championship. Plenty of teams chasing the Larry O’Brien trophy could use his scoring. But if what he wants most is volume and opportunity, Brooklyn could make a lot of sense.
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Mikel Brown Jr. also made his debut in the finale, adding another layer to a roster that already looks deeper than a typical summer group. With Las Vegas Summer League next on the schedule, the Nets will get a bigger stage to see how far this core can carry that early confidence, and whether it can turn a promising start into a run at the franchises first summer league title. [Read more 🡒]