According to Chris Haynes, a well-respected league insider, DeMar DeRozan has been cut by the Sacramento Kings and is now a free agent. It is a move that points to both sides wanting a fresh start.
Freshly cut by the Kings, DeMar DeRozan is drawing interest. Among the teams often mentioned as possible landing spots:
🔸 Miami Heat
🔸 Toronto Raptors
🔸 Golden State Warriors(@JakeLFischer @anthonyVslater @flasportsbuzz) pic.twitter.com/Du1kMuLnvK
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) July 7, 2026
After just two seasons in California, the ride is over already. Per the first reports from Chris Haynes, Sacramento has decided to waive its guard, instantly sending the six-time All-Star into the 2026 free-agent market.
At first glance, the call is a surprise, mainly because DeRozan didn’t drop off. At 37, he has stayed true to what he has been for nearly two decades: a scorer with ridiculous consistency. But in the NBA, the numbers never tell the whole story. And when a season ends with 60 losses, a lot of assumptions go out the window.
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A veteran who still held up his end
In a team going nowhere fast, DeRozan kept doing what he does best: score points, steady the ship and show up when games get tight. With 18,4 points, 4,1 assists, 2,9 rebounds and close to 50% shooting, the former Bulls guard never looked like a player on the slide. Far from it. His mid-range touch stayed lethal and his calm in crunch time still made him one of the league’s best clutch performers.
Individually, the season even became historic. DeRozan moved past two legends, Dominique Wilkins and Oscar Robertson, on the all-time scoring list. Hakeem Olajuwon is next in his sights. He is now just 236 points shy of the all-time Top 15. Another reminder of the remarkable longevity of a player whose game never needed bells and whistles to stand the test of time.
Where next?
Even though there has been no official signing announcement for DeRozan, a few teams are already circling the guard. According to several insiders, including Anthony Slater, Jake Ficher and Barry Jackson, three franchises are showing real interest in Deebo: the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors. Three possible destinations, three very different stories.
For Miami, the idea is pretty straightforward. The Giannis Antetokounmpo chase has stripped the roster down a bit, and they need another veteran who can score and help fill the hole left by Norman Powell after his move to Chicago. That part makes sense. He plays the same position, and DeRozan should have no trouble finding a role in a Heat team entering a new era.
The Warriors, as ever, are in the mix. Their plan would be to go after the guard if they fail to land Lebron James in free agency. Fit-wise, it works. DeRozan could slot into the 3 spot Jimmy Butler held last season and would be a strong addition to the starting five. The bigger question is whether he would accept being the second scoring option on a team desperate to reach the playoffs and squeeze out the last big years of Stephen Curry.
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Then there are the Raptors, who look like genuine contenders to bring DeRozan back home. From 2009 to 2017, he was a key part of Toronto’s project, with the hope that one day he would lead the franchise to its first title. Instead, he was traded in 2018 to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard, who then delivered a championship in one season after a legendary playoff run.
That makes the timing interesting, because Toronto has just brought Leonard back. So maybe another return to Canada is not completely off the table. The only snag is his relationship with Canada after a string of heated exchanges with Drake. Even so, the franchise has already cut the rapper out before over comments made on the broadcast, and it would probably do it again for one of the greatest players in its history.
Drake to Demar Derozan as he walks by ‘F*CK OUTTA HERE P*SSY’ pic.twitter.com/5TdBHs8yx7
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) November 3, 2024
An unexpected opening in the market
By parting ways with DeRozan, Sacramento has put a player on the market nobody really expected to be available a few weeks ago. His best years may be behind him, but the profile is still highly attractive. Very few veterans can bring that much offensive poise, leadership and production without swallowing up a roster.
Toronto, San Antonio, Chicago and Sacramento. Over 17 seasons, DeRozan has built a career without shortcuts or hype. Never the flashiest, rarely the loudest, but almost always one of the most reliable. His last All-NBA selection came during his Bulls spell, a sign he has managed to reinvent himself long after leaving the Toronto Raptors.
Credit: Photo by LUKE HALES / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
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