DeMar DeRozan got his wish as he is now a free agent. DeRozan was waived by the Sacramento Kings earlier today, as widely expected if they couldn’t trade him. The Kings had said earlier this offseason that they were looking to unload on two of their three biggest contracts, which included Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeRozan. Where will he land?
Heat and Raptors Suitors For 3 Veterans, But They May Have to Wait for Big Domino to Fall
Sacramento Kings are looking to go in a different direction after winning just 22 games last season, matching the Kings’ fewest since 2011-12 when they won 22 in a strike-shortened season. The Kings entered the offseason slightly over the first apron.
DeRozan was slated to make $25 million in his final season, though only $10 million was guaranteed. By waiving DeRozan, the Kings saved at least $15 million in cap space.
The Kings currently have 13 players under contract with a cap hit of $201.4 million, leaving them about $1.3 million above the luxury tax. However, the Kings have until the end of August to stretch his contract over three seasons, which would cut $6.7 million off their ledger. Thus, putting them $around $5.4 million below the tax line.
Now, the question becomes where DeRozan will end up. Rumors are already swirling.
While DeRozan may be slowing down, having produced his lowest-scoring season (18.3 points) since 2012-13, he was still highly efficient. DeRozan had 33 games with 20-plus points, topping the 30-point mark nine times, including a 41-point effort against Utah on March 15. He also produced two double-doubles with shooting splits of 49.7/32.0/86.8.
DeRozan will clear waivers on Wednesday. So, teams can’t sign him until then. The Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers are considered possible landing spots for the Compton (CA) native.
“You know I see the Miami Heat. I anticipate them being interested potentially in DeMar DeRozan,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater said on SportsCenter. “The Warriors have already been told it’s a guy they will look into at some point in the coming days, especially if they do not get LeBron James. There’s some heartwarming potential landing spots right. You know, the Clippers play in his hometown, the Raptors. He’s so famous. Those are two teams that compete that could use him. And the reality is he should be coming at such a bargain that really any team in the league that needs some bench scoring should be looking at him.”
🤔 Where will DeMar DeRozan sign?
🏀 Yaxel Lendeborg and Darius Acuff Jr.’s debut in Summer League@anthonyVslater joins SportsCenter to discuss the trending topics in the NBA pic.twitter.com/WPEJ3TSG7F— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 6, 2026
One team not expected to pursue the nearly 37-year-old forward is the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported. The Lakers are skewing younger and are reportedly pursuing unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga heavily.
The Heat and the Warriors are also in the LeBron James sweepstakes. Speaking of James, he is not expected to meet with any team going forward, rather relying on agent Rich Paul to do the background work.
James is not expected to make his decision anytime soon. And that could affect DeRozan’s and a few other veterans’ options—i.e., Bradley Beal and Khris Middleton —per NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Veterans minimum signings such as DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, and Khris Middleton could be on hold for Miami until LeBron makes his decision per, @JakeLFischer
“We’re looking at Toronto, potentially Miami. All these veterans who could go to Miami and join Giannis Antetokounmpo… pic.twitter.com/HOGejuaeyL
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 6, 2026
What About Khris Middleton and Bradley Beal?
Beal has been on the open market since declining his $5.6 million player option with the Clippers on June 29. The 33-year-old guard has drawn interest from the Heat, with other potential suitors including the Nuggets, Raptors, and Cavs. There is reported mutual interest between the Heat and Beal.
Middleton’s contract expired at the end of this past season. Like Beal, Middleton has been linked to the Heat since they missed out on signing Anfernee Simons. The 34-year-old is dangerous from the 3-point line and is a former long-time teammate of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Denver has also shown interest in Middleton.
Looking At Teams Interested In All 3 Veterans
Here is a look at the current landscapes of teams that have shown interest in DeRozan, Middleton, and Beal.
Heat: The Heat have 12 players on contract with a salary cap hit of $198.8 million. They will be a tax team this year and are hard-capped at the first apron.
Cavaliers: James Harden still hasn’t re-signed with the Cavaliers after declining his player option. While Harden is expected to remain with the Cavs, they do have flexibility to round out their roster before doing so. They have 12 players (13 considering Harden is expected to return) and are $16.7 million below the tax threshold. However, they project to be a tax team this year.
Raptors: The Raptors have 13 players under contract with a salary cap hit of $199.8 million, leaving them less than $600K below the tax threshold.
Nuggets: Denver has a lot of things to figure out. The Nuggets have 11 players under contract and are well above the first apron.
Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
