If the Toronto Raptors want DeMar DeRozan, they can have DeMar DeRozan.
All it takes is a five-year, maximum salary contract offer of nearly $153 million. Put that on the table when free agency tips off on July 1, and he may never even visit with another team.
But the truth about DeRozan’s situation – simple as it sounds – is that there’s a fair amount of nuance to be navigated here. Why, you ask? Because even with these already-exorbitant salaries spiking because of the league’s rising salary cap, these are human beings you’re dealing with.
DeRozan, who has worked his way from Compton to USC to NBA All-Star status, wants the honor and league-wide respect that comes with being treated as a max player. Yet should such an offer come his way, his very first move just might be to give some of those hard-earned dollars right back.
In the past few months, when the “We the North” Raptors played their way into the Eastern Conference Finals – and even beat the eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers twice once they got there – DeRozan was reminded how much fun winning basketball can be. Let alone winning basketball in such a meaningful, manic environment like the one the Raptors enjoy. What DeRozan also knows, and what will come into play next month, is that fellow free agent Bismack Biyombo was a crucial part of the Raptors’ memorable run.
Biyombo, the dominant 23-year-old defender who averaged 6.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 25.3 minutes in the Raptors’ 20 playoff games, is projected by some to earn as much as $17 million annually on the open market. Because DeRozan has been in Toronto since he was drafted ninth overall in 2007, the Raptors – by way of his Bird Rights – can go over the salary cap to sign DeRozan.
But in order to hold onto Biyombo, Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri will have to do some serious salary cap gymnastics. With the cap about to increase from a record $70 million to a record-shattering $94 million (hat-tip to the NBA’s nine-year, $24 billion television deal with ESPN and TNT), Toronto is currently saddled with approximately $69 million in guaranteed salary.
The good news, for DeRozan and the Raptors, is that Biyombo wants to come back. According to a person with knowledge of his situation, he will be patient as Toronto works things out with DeRozan as its top priority. Biyombo will have no shortage of suitors should the Raptors blink long enough to lose DeRozan, but there will be no immediate rush to seize the speediest deal.
Should DeRozan be willing to shave some off the top of his salary as a way to help Biyombo stay on board, as it seems he possibly will, then there is a very real interest on Biyombo’s part of making it all work. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the situation.
As for DeRozan, he has plenty of options on hold as well. The Lakers, who could wind up getting a meeting with DeRozan, in part, because he still resides there during the summer, are widely known to be very interested in making him part of their young core. The Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic are also hoping to lure him stateside.
But it’s the Raptors first for DeRozan, and then all the rest – with a few wrinkles to be ironed out along the way.
