Looking ahead to NBA free agency, DeMar DeRozan could make himself available by opting out of his deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
Appearing on ESPN Radio in San Antonio, Jabari Young of CNBC Sports Business reported the four-time All-Star is "not happy" with the Spurs.
DeRozan is in the final guaranteed season of a five-year, $139 million deal he signed with the Toronto Raptors in July 2016. He has a player option for $27.7 million in 2020-21.
Salary-cap factors could have an impact on DeRozan's decision.
B/R's Ric Bucher noted a cap "drop of $10 million to $15 million is not outside the realm of possibility" if the remainder of this season ends up being canceled because of concerns about the coronavirus.
In January, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the NBA projected the salary cap would increase from $109.1 million in 2019-20 to $115 million in 2020-21.
There aren't many teams that project to have money available this summer even without the possibility of a lower salary cap.
Since joining the Spurs as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade before the start of last season, DeRozan has changed his game to become primarily a mid-range shooter. He's only shooting 20 percent from three-point land over the past two seasons but has only attempted 75 shots from behind the arc in that span.
DeRozan's scoring efficiency has improved with the Spurs. The 30-year-old is averaging 22.2 points per game on a career-high 52.6 shooting percentage this season. He also leads the team with 5.6 assists per contest.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
