Toronto Raptors Get More Bad News On Landing DeMar DeRozan

The Toronto Raptors are waiting on potentially signing free agent DeMar DeRozan for a possible one last run with the franchise he once led to multiple playoff runs. 

However, that potential reunion has become unlikely now, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of the Bleacher Report. 

Fischer said that DeRozan has an interest in playing with the Raptors once again, but he believes that the former Sacramento Kings star will be playing for a squad that is in the running to get LeBron James. In other words, DeRozan, who is likely to sign a veteran minimum contract in his next squad, is perhaps teams’ second option if they do not sign James in free agency. 

“He’s almost certainly going to be on a vet minimum somewhere else. Could it be Toronto?” Fischer said in a livestream with Bleacher Report. “DeMar has interest in going back to the Raptors, but I think DeMar’s most likely landing spots are going to be teams that don’t get LeBron James.” 

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Who Are The Teams Interested To Get DeMar DeRozan’s Services?

Among those teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors, and the Miami Heat, among others. 

“I think the Miamis, Cleveland, Golden State, I think those teams are all going to be in the play for him if they don’t get LeBron,” Fischer said. “You can add him to the docket of the Khris Middletons, the Bradley Beals, whoever, these vet minimum guys that are kind of waiting to see what happens with LeBron [James] first.”

DeRozan played nine seasons with the Raptors from 2009 to 2018. He developed into a franchise cornerstone, leading the team to five straight playoff appearances and becoming a four-time All-Star.

He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard, who led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship, the city’s first-ever NBA title. Leonard, who is now 35 years old, is back with the Raptors after a blockbuster trade last month. 

In the 2025-2026 NBA season, DeRozan played 77 games for the Sacramento Kings and averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game. 

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Top 2 Teams In The Running For DeMar DeRozan Revealed

DeMar DeRozan has gained the most interest from the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to NBA insider Matt George of the Sactown Sports.

“The two teams that we seem to hear the most chatter about in terms of potential landing destinations for DeMar DeRozan [are] the Miami Heat, who of course just traded for Giannis, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are a team I long thought could use the services of DeMar, especially in that second unit off of the bench,” George said.

George added that if DeRozan decides to play in his hometown Los Angeles, he would then sign with the LA Clippers instead of the Lakers. 

“Of course, we’ve always heard LA ties, right? He is from LA, from Compton, very much a Los Angeles guy. So, we’ve always talked about the possibility of DeMar going home. Whether it’s the LA Clippers or the LA Lakers, it seems like the Clippers would be the more likely out of the two,” he said.

For now, DeRozan may have to wait for LeBron James’ free agency decision before ultimately deciding on his next squad. 

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