DeMar DeRozan is suddenly back on the open market, and a handful of familiar contenders are already circling.
The Sacramento Kings waived the veteran on Monday, clearing the way for one of the top free agents still available. DeRozan had a partial guarantee on his deal for next season, but he and Sacramento worked toward a release so he could move on and find his next landing spot. ESPN reported that multiple contenders are expected to be interested in the six-time All-Star.
Miami has long been tied to DeRozan, and that connection is still very much alive. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said, “Miami Heat have been a Derozan landing spot for years now, there's been so much connectivity between him and the Heat and I do think the Heat seem to be the most likely scenario for DeMar DeRozan right now…Miami is probably his best bet…those other spots really don't have spending power," The Stein Line's Jake Fischer said.
The Heat aren’t alone, though. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards have also shown interest in DeRozan as they look for more scoring punch. ESPN described him as “a high-profile name, proven scorer and durable option for several teams in need of offensive punch at a team-friendly price,” and listed Miami, Denver, Cleveland and Washington among the teams in the mix.
For DeRozan, this is a chance to join a real contender late in his career. The 17-year veteran spent last season with the Kings, but the fit now appears to be elsewhere as Sacramento continues moving on from veteran pieces. The Wizards are the outlier among the group because of their rebuilding situation, while Miami looks like the favorite and Cleveland remains in the hunt.
DeRozan has earned $305 million in contracts over the course of his NBA career, and this race may go right down to the wire before he chooses his next team.
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