The Golden State Warriors are back in the market for help, and the name at the center of the conversation is DeMar DeRozan.
After missing out on LeBron James, Golden State had to pivot, even as its financial room remains tight this offseason. The Warriors also got one major piece of business done Tuesday, with Draymond Green agreeing to return on the same contract he had previously opted out of.
“Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. The contract is the same Green opted out of to give the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James, but the sides land his return Tuesday,” ESPN Shams Charania wrote.
With Green back, the focus shifts to finding affordable players who can help right away. That’s where DeRozan comes in. SI’s Joey Akeley pointed to the veteran wing as a logical target for Golden State, especially with the team needing another scorer on the perimeter.
“The Warriors have been linked to DeRozan, which makes sense considering they have a need for a wing scorer and DeRozan is the best wing scorer available. If DeRozan is looking for a role in which he can continue to average upward of 18 points per game, he should choose the Warriors,” Akeley wrote.
There’s still a hurdle, though. Miami is being viewed as the favorite to land him, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said the Heat have long been tied to DeRozan.
“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.
DeRozan would give Stephen Curry another dependable scoring option and add a proven offensive threat to the Warriors’ lineup. The concern, as always, is what he brings on the other end; his defense has been an issue for much of his career.
Still, the appeal is obvious for Golden State. DeRozan was previously on a $73 million contract with the Sacramento Kings before being waived, and the Warriors could potentially land him on a far cheaper deal. For a team trying to get back into contention, that kind of scoring punch would matter.
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