Free agent forward DeMar DeRozan is headed to Denver.
Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime and NBA TV reported on August 21 that DeRozan plans to sign with the Nuggets, and ESPN’s Shams Charania later confirmed the deal will be for one year and $3.9 million. That’s a minimum-salary contract: DeRozan will make $3.88 million, while Denver carries a $2.45 million cap hit. Because the Nuggets are a second-apron team, they couldn’t offer an outside free agent anything above that.
DeRozan, who turned 37 earlier this month, hit the market in July after the Kings waived his partially guaranteed contract in a cost-cutting move. The longtime scorer drew interest from a number of teams, but sources told Haynes he wanted a shot at a contender. Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray all helped recruit him to Denver, according to Haynes.
The fit is pretty clear. DeRozan may no longer be at his absolute peak, and defense has never been his calling card, but he still brings real value.
Last season in Sacramento, he averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 77 games, shooting .497/.321/.868 while logging 31.2 minutes per night. For a player with that kind of production, a minimum deal can be a steal.
His career track record says plenty, too. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 draft, DeRozan has played at least 60 regular-season games in all 17 of his NBA seasons, and he’s reached 74 or more in each of the past five. He also ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Denver’s roster has been busy this offseason. The Nuggets matched a two-year offer sheet to keep restricted free agent forward Spencer Jones after he signed with Oklahoma City, but they also moved Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade to Cleveland on Thursday, landing a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder. They lost Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency, and Bruce Brown remains unsigned.
DeRozan is expected to come off the bench in Denver after starting 1,252 of his 1,264 career games.
The Heat were also in the mix, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, though they were more interested in Klay Thompson because of roster fit. Jackson reported that Thompson plans to sign with Miami after reaching a buyout with the Mavs.
Once DeRozan’s signing becomes official, the Nuggets will have 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron projects Denver’s luxury tax bill at $84.3 million, with the team $4.5 million above the second apron. ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes that Lonnie Walker IV is on a non-guaranteed training camp deal, and with the payroll already so heavy, he expects the Nuggets to open the season with 14 players rather than the full 15.
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