Report: Lakers, Kings, Heat, Spurs Interested In DeMar DeRozan

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are interested in DeMar DeRozan. 

DeRozan is an unrestricted free agent. He will not re-sign with the Chicago Bulls. 

“On the most recent episode of #thisleague UNCUT, my podcast partner Chris Haynes declared that the DeMar DeRozan tenure in Chicago is over. … The challenge now, of course, is that while numerous teams have been mentioned this week as potential DeRozan suitors — such as the Lakers, Heat, Kings and even the Spurs in a reunion scenario to possibly bring another former All-Star to Victor Wembanyama‘s team alongside Chris Paul — completing sign-and-trades is far trickier in the NBA’s new financial landscape featuring the most onerous team-building restrictions in league history for franchises that stray into the luxury tax,” Stein wrote. 

DeRozan won’t pick a new team for a while since he doesn’t want to play for the mid-level exception, which is around $12 and $13 million per season. 

One of the best scorers in the NBA, DeRozan appeared in 79 games for the Bulls in 2023-24. The USC product averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 48.0% from the floor, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 85.3% from the free-throw line.  

DeRozan signed a three-year, $85 million contract with the Bulls in August 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Spurs. 

DeRozan has career averages of 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Toronto Raptors, Spurs and Bulls. He’s made three All-NBA teams and six All-Star teams. 

The Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in five games, the Kings missed the postseason, the Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round in five games and the Spurs missed the playoffs.