Heat, Nuggets, Cavaliers reportedly in bidding war for $305M Future Hall of Famer, 6-time All-Star image
DeMar DeRozan is a future Hall of Famer whenever his career comes to an end. He has put together an impressive résumé, but one thing has been missing for quite some time—playing on a legitimate championship contender.
That could change this summer as DeRozan weighs his options in free agency. After being waived by the Sacramento Kings, he is now free to sign with any team.
“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.
DeRozan has already generated significant interest from several contenders. One destination that continues to make sense is the Miami Heat.
“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.
However, Miami is far from the only team interested. The Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers have also emerged as potential landing spots.
“I’m told Miami, Denver, and Cleveland are among the teams interested in DeMar DeRozan… There is a player out west that is overlapping with DeRozan as far as interest from teams,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said.
The Nuggets could pair DeRozan with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in hopes of making another championship run. The Cavaliers could view him as the veteran wing they have been searching for, while the Heat would add another proven scorer to complement their current core.
DeRozan has earned $305 million in NBA contracts throughout his career. Any of these destinations would give the six-time All-Star an opportunity to compete, but Miami still appears to be the most natural fit. It will be interesting to see which contender ultimately lands one of the top veterans still available.
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