Insider Lists 3 Teams In The Running for DeMar DeRozan

With LeBron James having made his long-awaited free agent decision, the top scorer available on the market is DeMar DeRozan. Accordingly, his market is starting to heat up.

According to insider Shams Charania, there are three teams that seem to be in the running for DeRozan, but surprisingly, the Toronto Raptors are not among the trio of landing spots that he lists.

The Cavaliers, Heat and Nuggets have all expressed recent free agent interest in DeMar DeRozan, per @ShamsCharania.

DeRozan, one of the best available unrestricted free agents remaining, is willing to sign at the veteran’s minimum to help a title contender. pic.twitter.com/U8OYfrA0Di

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 27, 2026

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets are the teams that Charania tossed out there as the top DeRozan suitors. 

After his buyout from the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, is likely willing to accept the veteran’s minimum. He'd like to get a shot at a ring for the first time in his 17-year career and any of those teams could afford him an opportunity. The closest he came was being the trade piece that the Raptors sent to the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 to acquire Kawhi Leonard, leading to a championship north of the border in 2019. 

The Miami Heat have been said to be laser-focused on DeRozan since they missed out on LeBron.

REPORT: Demar Derozan and the Heat have had conversations in the past 72 hours, per @flasportsbuzz

“DeRozan likes Heat and there have been conversations in past 72 hours, but as we reported Saturday AT LEAST 1 member of Heat decision making group wants to wait, though DeRozan… https://t.co/CFAR1qMlCN pic.twitter.com/WHLMo9hbE4

— The HEAT Realm (@WadexFlash) July 27, 2026

DeMar would also be a nice scoring addition for the Cavaliers and the Nuggets. Denver, though, is knee-deep in trying to find a way to keep their own RFA Peyton Watson. 

But Charania goes on to say that there's another scorer out there that teams are targeting in addition to DeRozan. Klay Thompson is still a Dallas Maverick, but a trade or a buyout could be coming. 

REPORT: The Miami Heat are targeting DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson, per @ShamsCharania

“I’m told Miami, Denver, and Cleveland are among the teams interested in DeMar DeRozan… There is a player out west that is overlapping with DeRozan as far as interest from teams. That is… pic.twitter.com/ChLZN7Zdqm

— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 27, 2026

The Heat are interested, but "DeRozan understandably wants part of a midlevel (exception contract) and Miami might need that for Klay," reports Barry Jackson.

“DeRozan likes Heat and there have been conversations in past 72 hours, but as we reported Saturday AT LEAST 1 member of Heat decision making group wants to wait, though DeRozan has admirers inside that key Heat inner circle."