5 Teams Listed As DeMar DeRozan Landing Spots

DeMar DeRozan is not looking at taking the minimum. The unrestricted free agent has several teams interested in signing him, but they'll have to pony up. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, DeRozan wants to sign for the mid-level exception. The non-taxpayer MLE would be $15M, while the Room MLE is $9.3M. The taxpayer MLE is $6M. 

Insider Brett Siegel has listed five teams that have had interest in DeRozan, and one of them is a surprise entry, that he calls the "best fit" for the six-time All-Star:

Washington Wizards

"A strong case could be made that the Washington Wizards may be the best spot for DeRozan since he could be a leader on and off the court for a team that expects to make a sizable jump during the 2026-27 season. Trae Young and Anthony Davis are two All-Stars, AJ Dybantsa is the No. 1 pick, and this team has plenty of youthful options on the rise," writes Siegel.

Signing DeRozan would make the Wiz "the most underrated threat in the Eastern Conference," he says. And given the player's salary demands,  Washington could be a frontrunner, as they are the only team on this list that still has its full mid-level exception ($15 million).

Miami Heat

This is the other likely landing spot, as the Heat have been linked to DeRozan for eons, even before he went to the Sacramento Kings two years ago.

If Dallas does not buy out Klay Thompson, and they are not expected to, DeMar would be the Heat's No. 1 target, by a long shot. But there is one issue with this move, as Siegel notes: "The only problem with this fit is that DeRozan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo are not 3-point shooting threats, which would drastically shrink the floor if they were all on the court together."

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs, for the moment, seem to have their attention focused on trading for RFA Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets. Until that is off the table, a DeMar to Cleveland move must take a back seat. 

Toronto Raptors

A return to his roots in Toronto was getting a lot of buzz early in the offseason, but it has died off for now. The Raptors are busy waiting on the Kawhi Leonard trade situation to resolve, and in the meantime can't really think about spending money in other scenarios.

Denver Nuggets

This one only works if DeRozan would be willing to accept the minimum, as the Nuggets are hard-capped at the second apron. Considering the notion mentioned earlier that the player wants at least part, if not all, of a team's MLE, that would drop Denver out of consideration. 

DeRozan averaged 20 ppg in his seasons with the Kings, and would be a solid addition for a team in need.