Getty Miami Heat president Pat Riley speaks during a ceremony to honor Shaquille O'Neal as he has his number retired during a game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016.
While there is a mutual interest between the Miami Heat and two-time All-NBA Second Team wing DeMar DeRozan as Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported, there remains a significant hurdle in completing a deal.
Despite the shrinking market for DeRozan, the six-time NBA All-Star is still seeking more than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, according to Bleacher Report/TNT’s NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“So a team is going to have to get really creative if they want to try to offer DeRozan something more than the midlevel exception,” Haynes said on the #ThisLeague Uncut podcast on July 2. “With a sign-and-trade, you get a three-year deal. I know DeRozan will probably be amenable to taking on a one-year deal. But I just don’t see him taking the full midlevel exception, which is that $13 million.”
With the Heat on its way to approaching the first apron, they only have the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception and veteran minimum contracts at their disposal to sign DeRozan.
The only way they can land DeRozan is via sign-and-trade or offloading some salaries to open up the necessary cap room to sign the former Chicago Bulls star more than the non-taxpayer full MLE even on a one-year deal.
The work is cut out for Heat president Pat Riley to weave his magic anew.
DeRozan declined the Bulls’ two-year offer worth $40 million annually, according to NBC Sports-Chicago’s K.C. Johnson in April. His market has already shrunk with the rebuilding Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz as the only teams left with more than $20 million in cap room.
Lakers Also Interested in DeMar DeRozan
Riley’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, is their strongest competitor in DeRozan.
However, the Lakers are also limited in what they can offer to DeRozan.
Despite Lakers superstar LeBron James‘ willingness to leave money on the table to help the team open up the non-taxpayer $12.9 million full midlevel exception, that would still not be enough to land them DeRozan.
The Lakers have reached out to DeRozan’s agent but talks have stalled, according to Bleacher Report/TNT’s NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“I would consider it frozen,” Haynes said on #ThisLeague Uncut podcast on July 2. “Antarctica.”
DeMar DeRozan Predicted to Settle With 1-Year Deal
ESPN’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.