DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook are still sitting on the open market, and they’ve emerged as the top veteran ball handlers left for teams looking to shore up a backcourt.
That’s a notable twist for two players who helped steady Sacramento through injury trouble last season. The Kings made their financial commitments clear this offseason, with nearly $100 million going to Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine for the upcoming year. Once that happened, a return for DeRozan and Westbrook started looking a lot less likely.
Even so, both veterans remain available, and both bring real value. Combined, they’ve made 15 All-Star teams over the course of their careers, and each showed he still has something to offer in Sacramento.
On Thursday, Yahoo Sports senior writer Dan Devine ranked the best remaining free agents, and DeRozan and Westbrook topped the “ball handlers” group.
Devine pointed to DeRozan’s scoring efficiency and late-game impact, writing, "A player who averaged more than 18 points and four assists per game on 50% shooting could still provide plenty of bang for the proverbial buck on a substantially smaller deal with a team in need of a dose of shot creation and shot-making," Devine wrote about DeRozan. "That's particularly true in crunch time, where DeRozan - a perennially elite midrange operator with pristine footwork and the cunning to wrongfoot defenders into ill-timed reaches, bites on pump-fakes and fouls - scored 86 points in 101 "clutch" minutes on .651 true shooting with a 15-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio last season for the Kings."
DeRozan also moved up the NBA’s all-time scoring list last season, and another year like that could push him into the top 10. Teams such as the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons could use his shot creation and his ability to put points on the board.
Westbrook’s case is different, but no less compelling. The former MVP turned in what could be called one of the league’s best bargain signings last season, averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 64 games while shooting 33.8 percent from 3-point range.
He also stayed productive in the ways that have always defined him. Devine noted that Westbrook still had the fifth-most triple-doubles in the NBA last season, a reminder that he can still influence games in multiple categories.
Westbrook was also one of the last players to come off the market before signing with Sacramento, and this offseason has played out in a similar way. Reports have suggested limited interest, but there’s still a strong argument that a team could use him.
The Heat have been mentioned again after missing out on LeBron James, and the Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets are also names to watch if they want a veteran backup guard.
Neither DeRozan nor Westbrook is the All-NBA force he once was. But both are still capable of helping a contender, and that’s why they remain two of the most intriguing veterans left in free agency.
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