The Toronto Raptors are still waiting on the Kawhi Leonard trade from the Los Angeles Clippers to get across the finish line, but that hasn’t stopped them from exploring other ways to add veteran help.
One name keeps rising to the top: DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan remains one of the most important players in franchise history, and he’s available after the Sacramento Kings let him go earlier this offseason. Now a free agent, he’s weighing his next move, and Toronto has apparently entered the conversation.
According to the Toronto Star’s Doug Smith, DeRozan and the Raptors have already spoken, and there is mutual interest in finding a deal that works.
The challenge is obvious. Smith says Toronto could only offer DeRozan the veteran minimum, which is $3.8 million, and nothing above that. He also wrote, "Whether the Raptors could even create a roster spot is also a question."
That leaves the idea very much alive, but far from simple. Still, it’s a discussion that seems to be moving forward, and one both sides would likely be eager to make happen if the logistics can be sorted out.
DeRozan has averaged 21 points per game over his career and put up 18 per game last season, so he’d still bring real production even if his role in Toronto would be smaller than it once was. And beyond the numbers, a return would carry a heavy dose of nostalgia for a player who helped define an era of Raptors basketball.
If it happens, DeRozan back in a Toronto uniform would be one of the more memorable ways for him to close out his NBA career.
In Other News...
Allen Graves Might Be Testing A Raptors Theory Fans Stopped Believing
Allen Graves has given Toronto a small but meaningful reason to keep watching its Summer League box scores. The Raptors draft pick has looked comfortable from deep so far, hitting 7 of 16 three-point tries across his first three games, and that kind of touch is exactly the sort of skill that can matter more in the NBA than it ever does in July.
For Toronto, the appeal is bigger than a hot shooting stretch. If Graves can carry even part of that range into the regular season, it could open up lineup options the Raptors have not always had, especially with injuries and a possible suspension already thinning the frontcourt rotation. He is expected to get some minutes anyway, which makes the next step less about whether he plays and more about what kind of role he can actually handle. [Read more 🡒]
Seth Lundy Is Making The Raptors Answer A Familiar Problem
Seth Lundy has been one of the more intriguing names in Torontos Summer League run in Las Vegas, giving the Raptors exactly the kind of perimeter pop theyve spent years trying to uncover. He has scored efficiently, knocked down threes at a strong clip and shown the sort of two-way flashes that can make a player stand out in a setting where roster jobs are often decided by small details.
The appeal goes beyond one hot stretch, too. Lundy already had a reputation for shooting it well in college and in the G League, so this isnt just a random summer heater for Toronto to monitor. The question now is whether the Raptors treat him like another camp body or decide his fit is real enough to keep him around when the roster decisions get serious. [Read more 🡒]
Gary Trent Jr. Reunion Buzz Just Got Real For Raptors Fans
Gary Trent Jr. is back in the Raptors conversation after landing a four-year, $64 million deal with Milwaukee, a price tag that raised more than a few eyebrows given his recent production. For Toronto, though, the interest is less about the contract itself and more about the fit. The Raptors are still looking for ways to reshape the roster, and Trents shooting has obvious appeal for a team trying to add more spacing and scoring punch.
Jakob Poeltl sits at the center of that calculus because Toronto is still trying to move off his contract, and that gives the front office a potential path to explore if the Bucks decide to keep retooling. Nothing here is close to concrete, and the whole idea lives in the speculative zone for now, but the overlap is enough to keep the reunion chatter alive. For Raptors fans, the intrigue is simple: could Trents return become part of a broader roster reset? [Read more 🡒]