DeMar DeRozan was one of the major offseason moves last season after he signed a three-year, $73,890,000 deal with the Sacramento Kings. The forward was one of the bright spots for the Western Conference unit after they failed to make the playoffs.
He is now one of the stars predicted to find a new home ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
NBA Insider Believes DeMar DeRozan Is Miami Heat’s Next Option if Kevin Durant Move Fails
Sacramento added DeRozan to its roster for a new ‘Big 3’ alongside De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. In a shock move, the Kings traded Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and replaced him with former Chicago Bulls wing Zach LaVine, DeRozan’s teammate.
The series of moves did little to move the needle, as they crashed out in the play-in tournament. Now, the rumor mills around DeRozan have begun churning again, with the veteran linked to a move back to the East.
The DeRozan to the Heat storyline has been an offseason staple, and the rumors now link the six-time NBA All-Star to the Heat amid the team’s ambitions of landing two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant.
Speaking on The James Ham & Kyle Madson Show, NBA analyst Ham believed that the Heat would make a beeline for DeRozan if they fail to land Durant this summer. “Last season, there was that possibility of him landing with the Miami Heat,” he said.
“I would say at this point, everything I am hearing behind the scenes is that there is still interest in DeMar DeRozan from the Miami Heat, especially if they miss out on Kevin Durant. If they land Kevin Durant, all of this changes.”
[2:00 onwards]Earlier, the Kings were in the news with plans to reportedly break their ‘Big 3′ for a marquee point guard. They were linked with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Darius Garland and Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young, but there have been no concrete developments.
DeRozan’s fit with the Heat comes at a cost, where they sacrifice some of their young core in Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, and Terry Rozier. Any trade talks around the seasoned forward could include at least two of these stars. Then there is that question of fit, where the 35-year-old’s defense and 3-point shooting will be in focus. But if Pat Riley can make a splash for a solid defensive presence and a sharp shooter, Miami will hope to be back in contention.
In his last season with the Kings, DeRozan averaged 22.2 points shooting 47.7% from the field, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 77 games. His durability and leadership were looked at as massive positives for Sacramento. Now, only time will tell if they will ship their veteran presence to hit a mini-rebuild.