NBA free agency is like a game of musical chairs. You don’t want to be the one without a landing spot when the music stops.
But the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement has some players showing up to a previously familiar game only to find the rules suddenly changed and with nowhere obvious to sit.
While most of the big names have found a new home already, DeMar DeRozan is still without a new deal.
DeMar has signaled his intention to be paid like a star player, something that the Chicago Bulls (ever wary of the luxury tax) are no longer in a position to do. DeRozan is older but still a talented player, and so there’s significant intrigue with these DeMar DeRozan next team odds.
I’ll take you through the top destinations according to NBA odds and how realistic they are.
DeMar DeRozan next team odds
| Team |  |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
+275 |
 Miami Heat |
+400 |
 Los Angeles Clippers |
+400 |
 Charlotte Hornets |
+800 |
 Sacramento Kings |
+800 |
 Houston Rockets |
+1,000 |
 Detroit Pistons |
+1,000 |
 San Antonio Spurs |
+1,600 |
 Phoenix Suns |
+2,000 |
Odds as of 7-04-2024.
Favorites to be DeMar DeRozan's next team
Los Angeles Lakers (+275)
The Los Angeles Lakers have the inside track according to the odds board, but there’s plenty of reasons to be skeptical of a potential DeMar DeRozan acquisition. While the Lakers are always star hunting and DeMar is a talented player, the financial logistics make this one exceedingly unlikely.
Early in free agency, LeBron James made a promise to take a pay cut if the Lakers could sign an impact player at the mid-level exception. Since that promise LeBron has signed a maximum contract with a player option for next season, vaporizing the hypothetical space such a player would have taken up.
L.A. is now slightly above the dreaded second apron without bringing DeMar in. They can’t finagle DeRozan at even something approaching the mid-level exception (a contract he reportedly is unwilling to take) without not only getting off D’Angelo Russell’s contract but also the likes of the more desirable Rui Hachimura.
While DeRozan is going to be associated with his hometown team forever, a jump to the Lakers seems improbable at this juncture.
Miami Heat (+400)
The Miami Heat have long been the landing spot for the NBA’s aging stars, relying on a combination of South Florida weather and Erik Spoelstra’s black magic to revitalize players near the end of their careers. DeMar of course is better than that right now, but Miami is still a natural fit for the 34-year-old shooting guard.
The rest of the East has loaded up ahead of the Heat. If they want to field another competitive team in the Jimmy Butler era, a play for DeRozan makes some sense. The Heat could collectively survive DeRozan’s defensive lapses and in exchange, they get desperately needed shot creation when Butler doesn’t have the ball.
Like the rest of the teams on this list, it would require a sign and trade. The formula for such a move is complex, but the Heat have one of the better cap management teams in the business.
Los Angeles Clippers (+400)
Could DeRozan land with the other L.A. franchise? The Los Angeles Clippers are a bit of a confusing mess at the moment. They don’t control their own draft future, but they also made it abundantly clear that competing for a title this season is not their top priority when they let Paul George walk to the Philadelphia 76ers in the coup of the entire free agency period.
Their goal seems to be reasonably competitive but not leverage their future any more for a team they don’t truly believe in. A sign-and-trade requires the team signing DeRozan to either hard cap themselves by adding more salary in the trade or they have to compensate the Chicago Bulls with draft capital.
With flexibility and future on the Clippers' mind, this one is difficult to see as well, though the fit is compelling.
Charlotte Hornets (+800)
The Charlotte Hornets are the least competitive team high on the list in terms of their projected record next season, but they also have the flexibility to put together one of the more competitive offers in terms of dollars and years.
While this deep into free agency they’d still likely need to make a sign-and-trade proposal for DeRozan, they have future assets and no obvious future designs on their cap space that hold up such a potential move.
The Hornets are still under relatively new ownership, so there’s not a clear track record to draw from when divining their team building philosophy.
Would bringing in DeMar put a damper on the development or LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller? Or do they see DeRozan as a steadying veteran voice who can help guide their development?
DeRozan spent the last few years of his career playing the good soldier on a mostly non-competitive Bulls team, so if the money is right it seems he’d at least be amenable to such a move.
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Sacramento Kings (+800)
The Sacramento Kings are an interesting positional fit for DeRozan. While they seemingly signed their shooting guard of the future when they brought back Malik Monk on a four-year deal, they are still desperate for someone other than De’Aaron Fox to run the offense and create shots in a high-level playoff game.
DeRozan would fill that need and could also satisfy an ownership group that feels the team has stagnated since Mike Brown helped end their historic playoff drought.
There are rumors that the Kings covet Lauri Markkanen and are willing to put substantial assets on the table. But Markkanen has many suitors, and if that falls through it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the Kings pivot to DeRozan.
