NBA Rumors: DeRozan Opting Out, Awaits Spurs Move

DeMar DeRozan will be one of the many free agents this summer with the 30-year-old making it known that he will opt-out and test free agency. However, his ties with the Spurs are not completely nixed and the 6-foot-6 cager is waiting to see if San Antonio will offer him a contract extension.

Set to earn $27,739,975 this season, this means that DeRozan will also pass on the same amount he would be earning in 2020-21, Yahoo Sports reported. It will be interesting how much the four-time NBA All-Star will fetch but there is no doubt that multiple NBA teams will explore possibilities of landing him.

With regards to a contract extension, it doesn't look like the Spurs are going to give him on. At the February trade deadline last month, the Spurs had explored options on deals involving him and LaMarcus Aldridge according to a report from ESPN. Nothing transpired but that move alone sends off signals that both could be on their way out moving forward.

As far as DeRozan is concerned, the 30-year-old has managed to maintain his numbers since being acquired from the Toronto Raptors back in 2018. Last season, he played in 61 games and averaged 22.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 34.3 minutes of action per Basketball-Reference.com. Despite his efforts, the investment made by the Spurs has not paid off.

Last NBA season, the Spurs were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets. They did worse this 2019-20 NBA season and well on their way of missing the NBA playoffs. They are currently 27-36 and four games behind the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. With only 19 games to go, they need to string up some wins to hopefully catch up. But things are not looking that good with the Spurs likely to rebuild anew starting this summer.

If money is a priority, DeRozan is unlikely to end up with the top-seeded teams right now. Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers or the Los Angeles Lakers are cash-strapped with top stars in the mix although other teams needing a scorer may come knocking. A return to the Raptors is possible with Kawhi Leonard already with the Clippers. So far, no team has shown interest in him but the script is likely to change by the summer. For now, DeRozan needs to finish the season strong and think of the next steps thereafter.