During a Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers game in 2016, Miami Heat president Pat Riley talks during a ceremony honoring Shaquille O’Neal as he receives his number retired.
The Miami Heat and two-time All-NBA Second Team wing DeMar DeRozan are interested in each other, but as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald noted, there is still a big obstacle in the way of finalizing a transaction.
According to Chris Haynes, an NBA insider for Bleacher Report/TNT, DeRozan is still pursuing more than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, even if his market is getting less.
As Haynes stated on the July 2 episode of #ThisLeague Uncut, “a team is going to have to get really creative if they want to try to offer DeRozan something more than the midlevel exception.” “You get a three-year agreement when you sign and trade. It is likely that DeRozan will agree to a one-year contract, as I know.
Unfortunately, I don’t think he will accept the $13 million midlevel exception in full.
The Heat’s sole options for signing DeRozan are the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception and veteran minimum contracts, as they are quickly reaching the first apron.
DeRozan can only be signed via a sign-and-trade or by dumping some salaries to create the required cap space, even if it’s only for a one-year contract, in order to sign the former Chicago Bulls star for more than the non-taxpayer full MLE.
President of the Heat Pat Riley has his work cut out for him to perform his magic once more. According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports-Chicago in April, DeRozan turned down the Bulls’ two-year deal worth $40 million a year.
With the rebuilding Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz being the only clubs still with more than $20 million in cap space, his market has already contracted.
Lakers Are Considering DeMar DeRozan as Well With DeRozan, Riley’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, are their greatest rival. The Lakers are constrained in what they can give DeRozan, though.
The Lakers would still be unable to get DeRozan even with the superstar’s willingness to forgo financial support in order to assist the team access the $12.9 million full midlevel exception, which is not taxable.
DeRozan’s agent has been contacted by the Lakers, but negotiations have not progressed, according to Chris Haynes, an NBA insider for Bleacher Report/TNT.
“I would consider it frozen,” Haynes said on #ThisLeague Uncut podcast on July 2. “Antarctica.”
DeMar DeRozan Predicted to Settle With 1-Year DealESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski believes DeRozan would ultimately settle with a one-year deal and treat next season as a stop-gap year.
I think there’s interest in DeMar DeRozan, but the kind of contract that he might want just is not going to be available,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN Sportscenter on July 2. “It’s not left out there in the marketplace.
The Bulls are more than willing to work on a sign-and-trade agreement to get him the years and money that he might want, but with the new salary cap rules, those are much more difficult for teams to do.
I think in DeMar DeRrozan’s case, and it may not be as appealing to him, but it may look like a one-year deal somewhere.
Let the market reset next year because if you do a sign-and-trade, it’s got to be at least three years. And now you’re locked into a three-year deal at a number you may not like.”
The 34-year-old DeRozan was the Bulls’ leading scorer last season, averaging 24.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 79 games.
He finished second to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in the Clutch Player of the Year race.
But if he is to join a contender, DeRozan would also have to accept a smaller role aside from a smaller salary.
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