The Denver Nuggets are being floated as a dark-horse team in the LeBron James sweepstakes, but if that path doesn’t come together, another veteran name could quickly move to the front of the line: DeMar DeRozan.
James told the Los Angeles Lakers a week ago that he plans to take his talents elsewhere, and several teams have already reportedly reached out to his agent, Rich Paul, to show interest. Denver and Minnesota have both emerged as intriguing possibilities.
“The Nuggets and Timberwolves are viewed as dark horse contenders in the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes. LeBron would arguably complete both teams and put them over the top in a loaded Western Conference,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
If Denver comes up short on James, DeRozan stands out as a logical fallback. The veteran forward was waived by the Sacramento Kings after the team couldn’t find a trade partner for him, opening the door for a new landing spot.
“The Denver Nuggets have a severe lack of dribbling outside of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. DeRozan doesn't exactly fit their off-ball motion-heavy offense around Jokić, but he could keep the bench offense afloat, and Denver has played elite offense without maxing out 3-point volume in the past, so it is about as well-equipped as any team could be to deal with DeRozan's less-than-ideal shot selection,” CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn.
“The Sacramento Kings have waived DeMar DeRozan, the team announced Monday, making the six-time All-Star one of the top free agents on the market. DeRozan had a partial guarantee on his contract for next season, but he and Sacramento worked on his release to allow him to find a new home. Multiple contenders are expected to have interest in the veteran guard,” ESPN wrote.
A DeRozan signing would give Denver another proven scorer and a steady veteran presence. He could help either as a starter or off the bench, adding depth and postseason experience while he keeps chasing another shot at a championship.
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